"The images of God in the Bible arose from some believers' concrete experiences....But God isn't frozen in those images like some Cro-Magnon man mummified by a glacier. The closing of the biblical canon could hardly conclude God's personal self-revelation. The Spirit continues to come to us in fresh ways," writes Holly Bridges Elliott in Beholding God in Many Faces.
The author, a freelance writer and editor, offers ten ways to think about God which have grown out of her experiences in everyday life. A trip to a pediatrician's office and an encounter with a dedicated baby nurse leads Elliott to imagine God as "The Great Mother," a source of support, solace, and endless love. Meditating upon the life and work of Sojourner Truth, the crusader for women's rights and the abolition of slavery, the author to consider God as "Mother of Truth."
On a trip to Cuba, Elliott purchases a postcard depicting a goddess of love. This sparks a series of images which conclude with a tribute to the "God of Attraction." This is the same One who, according to the author, "choreographed the rumba."
A dream in which a man threatens the safety of a child jumpstarts Elliott's image of "God in Solidarity." A group of women stand with her and the man puts the child down and walks away. The author has an epiphany at noon while watching her children eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She senses that God is light and illumination. Other metaphors of God explored by Elliott are "Just Judge," "Sun," Divine Water," and "God of Compassion."
These poetic and imaginative stories are like icons, "part divine inspiration and part craft." Elliott has written an enchanting spiritual primer for all those interested in God's many approaches to us in the midst of our days. She also has provided concrete examples of the importance of mindfulness and wonder as useful resources on a spiritual journey.