What God do we need?
Very few people feel so self-sufficient that they can manage without a father image.
Our Biblical ancestor Joseph learnt this at a moment of crisis when he faced a life-changing decision. He looked up and saw the image of his father, the patriarch Jacob.
Like Joseph we are sometimes desperate for guidance and wisdom. We yearn for a hand to hold onto. We are bereft, alone and afraid.
Adon Olam echoes in the background of our thoughts: B’yado afkid ruchi, “Into His hand I commit my spirit”. We need that supportive hand.
Could it be just any hand? How can we know it is God we need if we have childish images of Him that seem so obsolete and frighten us because with them comes a price?
The God we need could conceivably be an abstract idea but we are better off with a God of whom we have some experience, a God who has a track record of redemption, salvation and support.
Does He come with a price tag? Probably. It’s only fair that if we want something from Him, He wants something from us.
