American revivalist preacher, philosopher and theologian Jonathan Edwards once said, “The glory of God is the weight of all that God is, the fullness of his understanding, virtue and happiness. God's perfect love, power, wisdom, sovereignty and grace make him glorious.”The weight of God; is it something that we see or feel today?Do we reach out to it, in forgiveness, in love, in understanding and charity, on any given day?Do we see the light? Have you seen the light? Do you care, anymore? Do you? Do you give a flying you-know-what in this crazy world of ours?Our lives have become so complicated. So utterly complicated. And yet we are so helpless.So buried are we, in our cellphones. Our investments. Our jobs, that keep us and our families afloat. Our relationships, as they are. Our television programs.The high-end SUVs and imports that take us to work and back on premium gas.The banks who rake in exorbitant profits off us and feel no pity. Give no quarter.The politicians who are corrupted as much by their silence, as much by their countless lies.The pretty girl at the Starbucks counter, who smiles as she hands you an over-priced $5 coffee.The boss, who roundly ignores you. Who doesn’t even know you’re alive.The company, that sees you as just a number, rarely offers raises but pays you on time.Which is all you care about. All that matters. All you can depend on.The weight of God.The words contain the essence of something of value, of great appreciation, wealth, honour and, above all, weight.Both heavy and fragile. Especially in today’s world.Does evil, exist? You bet it does.I have seen it and felt it in my dreams, the face of evil.Not only does it exist, it thrives behind the facade of life.I can only hope and pray, there is a force of good in the world.I say that, as a man who is 50% believing and 50% non-believing, at any given time. Make that, 50% happy, and 50% unhappy, at any given time.Leaving me a somewhat morose and tortured person. As comedian Woody Allen once said, as long as there is someone out there suffering, suffering greatly, I can never, ever really be happy.But I choose to live this way. I choose to mourn my closest friends whom I have lost, to this day. Our dearest Stephanie Novak, who was our second daughter.There isn’t a day go by, I don’t think of her.That’s how I honour her and others. And from this depth of pain, I draw my art, my feelings and thoughts.There is no such thing as closure folks. Whatever trauma you have experienced, it will never go away.And so I say, embrace it. It’s OK to feel those emotions. It’s OK.I reached out recently to my preacher friend, Erik. I asked him for his thoughts, about the weight of God.He responded:“I’ve heard it said that freedom is not the ability or right to do what you want to do. Freedom is not the ability or right to do what I want to do. It is the power to do what we should do, not just for ourselves, but for all as we reflect the weight of God together in our lives.”The power to do, what we should do.Last week, I was at Sobey’s, buying a birthday cake for my older brother Jim, who is in a care home.At the bakery counter, I stood behind a beautiful woman of what they now call, a visible minority. A small child, was holding her hand, and peering into the glass where the birthday cakes were placed.He couldn’t have been more than six years old, I think.He pointed to one, and said, “I want that one.”The mother told the girl, “We’ll take it”The cute little fellow, was filled with joy, “I’m so excited,” he exclaimed. A comment that touched my heart, deeply.His joy wasn’t shared by the Mom, who remained nonchalant. To her, it was just another purchase. She probably had a lot on her mind that day.But to that little boy, it meant everything in the world. It would help him celebrate his special day. The innocence I witnessed was pure and joyful.Yet to be tainted by the world we now live in, nor regimented by our school system and its educators, our debilitating politics and relentless injustice.To quote the great British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian, Clive Staples Lewis, “The sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal, or two friends talking over a pint of beer, or a man alone reading a book that interests him.”“He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only.”The weight of God, is all around us, folks. There is no mystery and we do not have to go far to seek it.No miracles needed.
