Second Date with God Challenge Winner
I would like to thank everyone who submitted an entry to my challenge. I had no idea what I was getting into--talent-wise! The entries ranged from slapstick to ethereal to profoundly spiritual, but they all pointed out something interesting in the human condition. There were several that expressed anger at the bad things that happen--allowed by God--but then there was a rebirth in faith nevertheless ("Are You Listening?," "Second Chances"). There was a metaphor of baptism beautifully written that linked continuity from the writer to her offspring ("The God Affair). There was the painful, spooky ending of what it feels like to push God away ("Visions of Undetermined..") and be without him. Many focused on the solipsism of faith--how one's religion (faith) is an intensely personal affair. There were allusions to the Mother of God, the Son of God, and the demons in all of us.
It was painful for me to pick only one (which is a cop-out cliche, I know). There wasn't a stinker in the bunch. All of them reached deep into the most personal sulci of the writers' minds. What a wonderful collection of spiritual explorations. (PROSE should consider making it one of their books like they did with the zombie apocalypse. Hint.)
But I did pick one:
"The Face of God." First of all, I hope this piece inspires those who have never read Les Miserables before to do it. Forget the musical and the movie--they did the best they could in two hours or so--but the beauty and impact of that Victor Hugo classic is so moving and memorable, I myself am inspired to read it again just from the one phrase (of many from Hugo) that was the theme of "The Face of God." Love = God no matter where you have it. If you love, you're with God. Prodigal sons, stumbling out of Eden, even dying--all trivialities compared to unconditional love. How do you describe love? How do you describe the indescribable? You call it God and don't ask any further questions. It is. Just like when he said, "I am."