On my way to the gospel for this morning, I encountered a surprising thought. It came from Psalm 149, the psalm refrain for the day’s lectionary. The actual ” refrain” (what was repeated repeatedly (😇) between every two stanzas of the psalm, said “GOD TAKES DELIGHT IN HIS PEOPLE!”
What struck me was the fact that I had never (or maybe just not for a long time) thought about God exercising emotional responses of that kind in relationship to us. I am mostly always aware of my responses to gifts of God but I don’t think about the opposite, i.e. God’s response to my behaviors. Oh, of course I was taught to please God and not disappoint God, but when I think of DELIGHT, there’s a whole new image in me of what the response would be on God’s part. I can see God doing somersaults or singing a chorus of “alleluia!!!” or some such behavior. And that makes me smile…as if it humanizes God somehow…and not just Jesus—whom we know was “like us in all things but sin.” I’m talking about THE GODHEAD! The One we adore, the Creator…
Ah, the vagaries of my mind…Are you with me at all? Can you imagine God delighting in you like that…? Maybe even grabbing you in a great big bear hug and singin : “I’m just wild about Harry (or Lois), And she’s just wild about me!” (Are you smiling yet, at least?)