The End of God

What comes after "believing in God"? [I'm consciously bracketing out the question of "what god or whose god," and assuming the Judeo-Christian "God" with a big "G."]

Jesus says the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord (Yahweh) your God with all your heart, soul, and might." (He too is assuming the "God" of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - Whose name is Yahweh.)

Have you ever thought about what that commandment entails? Where does God "end" and the world begin? I believe that "He is," but do I believe "His is here"? Where does He end? Where do I draw the line? Is there anywhere in my life that I've not let God in? Am I keeping anything from Him?

The Psalmist writes, "The earth belongs to Yahweh, along with all who dwell on it." (Ps. 24) Do I behave as if that is true? Or, do imagine that God is out there somewhere in the distance and I - with the rest of the world - am pretty much left to myself?

How does one who embraces the "greatest commandment" view their day, life, actions, relationships? Paul writes, "Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of* the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:15)

So, it would seem that God "ends" where we draw the line. "Here and no further!" We can remove Him from the academy, His word from the walls of courtrooms and public spaces. But if the psalmist is correct, and the whole earth really is His, then our attempts to limit the Holy One parallel those of the Black Knight who, in spite of increasing injury, continues to tell King Arthur, "None shall pass!" in the Monty Python movie.

I'd just as soon welcome Him in!

* "In the name of" was an ancient Jewish idiom meaning "with the authority of" or "in accordance with." To act "in the name of" means one's actions are informed solely by the authority named.