Finding God On the Wild Edges

We often talk about being centered in God. However, as Christine Valters Paintner notes, “The holy one is at the very center of all things, but also waiting for you on the wild edges.”

Many of us would probably say that our lives are devoid of wild edges. Yet if we consider the things we avoid in life, we will probably discover that wild edges are all around us. What would it feel like to volunteer at a homeless shelter, a prison, or a nursing home and converse with some of the residents there? Is God waiting for us in those places? Might God be lurking in the art supplies that sit in our closet or in the piano that is gathering dust in the corner? Is God waiting to be noticed in a person you need to be reconciled with?

Being centered is terrific, but when we stay forever in that safe, comfortable place, we are excluding a world of possibilities of encounter with God. I once heard someone say “One of my favorite places to be is in suspense!” When we remember that God is present not just at the center of all things but everywhere, we can live in a state of delightful suspense about where our next encounter with God will take place … and if the Spirit has anything to say about the matter, that encounter is likely to occur on the wild edges of our lives.