The Face of God

Sunshine

Open up the window to the face of god. That’s what my mother used to tell to me when I was a teenager. During the summer break, I’d stay up late and sleep in for as long as I could, till my mother barged into the room, pulled the curtains, and opened the window saying: Open up to the face of god.

She was referring to the brightness and warmth of the sun.

I took the sun for granted when I was growing up. I wanted to escape the scorching heat of the desert sun (Kuwait). Sometimes I just wanted to hide under the covers, away from everything.

I missed the sun when I moved to Vancouver (lots of rainy days). I wanted to see and feel the face of god—the protection of light, the reassurance of warmth, and the vividness of life.

My focus shifted to missing or appreciating the sun, and in the process, I forgot to enjoy the rain. I took the rain for granted or wanted to avoid it.

When I woke up from my slumber of ignoring the rain, I started to see the face of god in every drop and cloud formation—the cleansing of the earth, the hazy skies, and the replenishment of rivers and oceans.

The sun and the rain sustain us. But can also be the cause of our demise. I couldn’t help but see god in every contrast, and the space in between.

The more I thought about the face of god the more I realized that god is in everything and everyone—when we stop to notice.

God in my world is life, the singularity, creation, evolution, faith and doubt, science, nature, light and darkness, energy and matter/antimatter, anything … and (no)thing.

The word god, like any other word, is made up. No dogma here, just a moment of reflection on what it means to be alive, conscious, and … aware.

So replace god with any other word that conjures up the energy and oneness of creation.

Where do you see god? Where do you see the magnificence of being?

I see god in the order and chaos of life, in beauty and ugliness alike, in laughter and tears, and in joy and sorrow.

I see god in clarity and confusion, and in my own changeable and imperfect nature.

All sameness and contrasts are manifestations of our oneness with all that is.

The face of god for me started with the sun … the rain … then the ocean and the mountains … and back to the desert.

Now I see god in the blades of grass, the wild mushrooms that pop out of nowhere, the persistent weeds and clover, and the tiny snail that loves to stick around. All in my modest, yet magical, backyard.

We don’t need to go far to see and experience the face of god. It’s in our backyards, within our homes, our families, our communities, and most intimately within us.

Look in the mirror and see the mystery and unique masterpiece that is you. Yes you. You are a work of art. God resides within every heartbeat, inhalation and exhalation, and moment of wakefulness and sleep.

You are here by the grace of life and the power of the universe. Accept it with arms wide open and take it all in.

You don’t need to open your eyes to truly see. The depth of all of existence lies within you.

Every moment, every place, every object, and every being is sacred, precious, and magnificent, yet fleeting, miniscule, and insignificant.

Life is the expression of consciousness looking onto itself. Open up the window of perception and look into to the face of god.

Photo Credit

PREVIOUS:
NEXT: