The God of Many Things

by John Herlihy

Sometimes I wonder about God,

The idea of God and what He brings.

Then I think: there is no single idea of God,

A Supreme Being is the god of many things.

The god of mountain peaks and cresting waves,

The god who understands misery, the god who saves.

The god of torrential rain, the god of falling snows,

The god who breathes out spirit as gentle wind blows.

If you want to know who He is,

Just think about who we potentially are.

We sometimes think of God as a mystery,

But there is no mystery in our own reality.

We are compassionate, merciful, and forgiving,

We are loving, we are knowing, knowledgeable, wise.

We give, we protect, we listen, see, hear, taste, smell,

We are subtle and gentle, we are trust-worthy and kind.

Do we think we have initiated these blessed qualities,

Or are they a mirror reflection of the attributes of God.

Alternative names of God that are the best of names,

Names as virtues that we can imprint upon our own souls.

Who is this God that we humbly whisper to in prayer,

Whether we be joyous or sorrowful, we seek his care.

The orbiting earth, the rotating planets, our sun but a star,

Order out of chaos, sanctity of natural law, God’s door ajar.

The dawn light returns, rivers run their course, stars set,

Universal law allowed to function while being in God’s debt.

The idea of God multiplied a hundred, even a thousand fold,

The Lord God of many things in the greatest story ever told..

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Wednesday 21 May 2025