Kitty

Look at that cat, basking in her little pool of sunlight, eyes slitted, paws tucked under. She seems more satisfied that any human I know. I wonder, does she experience her Creator? If so, in what way?

Do I experience God? If so, in what way?

The immediate thought is "Word". I've been well inculcated, and think of the Bible first. But I'm also reminded that words are at the heart of what it is to be human. We're the animal of language, of concept, of symbol. God comes to us with the very thing that interests us most, the very thing that makes us unique.

But waking from her nap and from her long silence, the cat says, "It's always words with you people. In the beginning was the Rest, and the Rest was with God, and the Rest was God. The Rest was with God in the beginning."

And the sparrow at the feeder says, "Typical cat. In the beginning was the Seed. The Seed was with God and the Seed was God. The Seed was with God in the beginning."

And the hawk on the branch says, "In the beginning was the Wind. The Wind was with God and the Wind was God."

And the earthworm says, "The Soil was with God in the beginning."

And the oak says, "Through the Sunlight all things were made; without the Sunlight nothing was made that has been made. In the Sunlight was life."

And I say to them, "That life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkeness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

And they say to me, "Son of man, experience him as the Word because that is how you are fearfully and wonderfully made, but don't forget to enter into our fellowship as well."

So I'll sit next to Kitty in her pool of sunlight. She will close her eyes and I will speak to her, and we will experience God together.