Pineridge Blog

Where Does God Live

Last Saturday there was another horrible shooting in another house of worship. This time it was the Chabad of Poway Synagogue in Cali-fornia. Just in the past few weeks Jews. Muslims and Christians have died worship-ing in synagogues, mosques and churches across the world. I just don’t understand the kind of hatred someone has to feel to be motivated to take the lives of others, and also to throw their own life away. But it is clear that whether I un-derstand it or not, these incidences of hate continue to me-tastasize. I was thinking about these things when I read a book to the kids in Parents’ Day Out Tuesday morning called, “Where Does God Live?” by Holly Bea. In the book Hope asks her friends, both human and animal, and finally poses her important question to her wise Grandma Rose. Grandma Rose replies,

“God lives in frogs and birds and in you.
When you’re looking for God, its easy to do.
God lives in all things that you see, hear or touch.
God lives in all people. God’s in each one of us.
And when you meet people who are loving and good,
They’re letting God out, just as everyone could.
And if you meet people who seem hateful or bad,
They’ve forgotten God’s here, and that makes God sad.
God is gentle and loving and cares for us all.
God gives us strength to get up when we fall.
God is always around to help us find truth,
Whether we’re old or still in our youth.’
Hope kissed Grandma Rose and went on her way.
She had no more questions—at least for today.
And on her way home, she saw God in all things,
In the clouds and the flowers—and nice Mrs. Ying.”

I know it sounds very simple, too simple perhaps, but I can’t help but believe that our greatest defense against hate is to heed Grandma Rose’s words and trust and teach that the God of Love is in everyone including ourselves.