Serving God on the Ground

A pastor of ours often would say “God is God—and we’re not.” The psalmist may have that idea in mind while musing on God’s eternal nature, creative powers, and skills at surveillance. The psalm also offers a complementary viewpoint: God considers all of us very important. We often say, “We’re all God’s children,” giving little thought to the implication of that statement. In this scripture, the idea of God functioning as a parent—an involved, detail-oriented parent—is inescapable.
When I was growing up, a child of parents who had been formed by a Roman Catholic, urban, blue-collar, immigrant-influenced culture, we didn’t discuss self-esteem. I never heard the term until college, and I was skeptical for a long time. Why do people need this ego-massage? Over the years, I have been humbled by my hard-hearted, judgmental attitude. Though the Italian peasant immigrants who were my grandparents and with whom I grew up had little privilege, I now have a lot. I grew up in a stable home with two parents, three grandparents, and a sister. I am a straight, white male. I had to try very intentionally to put myself in the shoes of a person who was bullied or struggling with a psychological or emotional challenge or who grew up surrounded by domestic violence or substance abuse. I am still working on getting better at practicing empathy, not only offering it but also receiving it. Psalm 139 reminds us that we are beautifully made, that the smallest aspect of our lives is known and considered important to the Creator of the universe—the God who’s always paying attention to what we’re doing, what we’re thinking, how we’re hurting. And the God with the power to be the ultimate “helicopter” parent.