Good without God (04/06/2025)

My daughter gave me a book for my birthday. It’s called Perspective and it was written by Richard C. Halverson in 1957. Every page presents a thought and then develops it. I think my favorite is “Good…for What?” Halverson asks the question, “Take God out of good – what do you have left? You have “0” left – exactly nothing.” I had to ponder that for a long time before I read on.

The first question that came to mind was how astute am I in recognizing the LORD behind, within, and around the good in my life. I mean, really, do I see the LORD in the goodness I encounter, the goodness I experience, the goodness I witness? Do I recognize the LORD in the goodness I do? Do I see the LORD’s love for me and my love for the LORD as the spring that it is from which so much goodness flows? Do I really think that I can do good without the LORD, without love for the LORD, without the LORD’s love for me?

As I pondered that question, another arose. What am I doing to safeguard this essential relationship, this life-giving relationship in my life? What am I doing to grow it, to deepen its roots and increase its fruits?

Immediately, I gave thanks for the love of my daughter, for the LORD’s loving providence that led her to that book and to her recognition of its potential for me. Truly, the LORD is with us. The question isn’t whether the LORD is present, the question has always been rather will we see the LORD’s power and presence, manifestations of the LORD’s love for us, in the moments and events of our lives.

And my mind jettisoned back to a moment when a wise woman told me. “Kathleen, it sounds like you were there for the event but missed the experience.” And I knew instantly that she was telling me I needed to see into my moments more deeply, I needed to “experience” and not just attend. Her words opened up for me a new way of living that sprung from my search for what the LORD was doing in my life. I’ve used that expression myself a time or two along the way to “thump” another into awareness of the LORD’s power and presence expressed through moments, through the actions of others, through the call to me to live my love out loud.

Today is my birthday. Today I turned 75. I never thought I would make it this far honestly. And I have to smile because I realize I didn’t make it alone or entirely on my own volition. Today is both a day of thanksgiving and rededication, of opening myself to the love that flows through my life and of cooperating with the LORD’s graces knowing that I’m being called daily to participate in the LORD’s divine design.

It’s a good question to ask ourselves, “What is good without God?”, and to take the time to ponder the LORD’s role in the goodness we experience as well as our role in being instruments of the LORD’s ongoing power and presence in the world – our role in being instruments of the LORD’s love in the world.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.