Relaxed

Illustration by Pauline Baynes.

Illustration by Alice Ratterree, Re-Illustrating a Classic, April 11, 2014, https://aliceink.com/.

“What is just one word to describe God?”

“Relaxed.”

Relaxed?? Are you as surprised as I was when I read this? I cannot find the reference so I don’t know who said it, but I think it was a theologian. If you were asked for one word to describe God, what would you say? My first thought is loving. Maybe you thought of something else. Good. All-knowing. Powerful. Maybe stern. Judgemental. Watching. I don’t know if relaxed would ever come to my mind. What do you think?

I like it.

As per usual, I thought of a Narnia story. I have written about it before, here and here, when Jill is carried through the air by Aslan’s breath. (I mistakenly said it was Lucy rather than Jill one of the times.) The illustrations I used above are the only ones I could find of this story. I was sure there was an illustration showing Jill relaxing on the current of Aslan’s breath but I cannot find it anywhere. Maybe I built the image in my own imagination. In the illustrations above, Jill does not look very relaxed, but the words beautifully describe her relaxed feeling.

…floating on the breath of the Lion was so extremely comfortable. She found she could lie on her back or on her face and twist any way she pleased, just as you can in water (if you’ve learned to float really well). And because she was moving at the same pace as the breath, the air seemed beautifully warm. (p. 22, The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. Copyright 1953, by MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.)

I wonder what the theologian meant when he said God is relaxed. Were or are you, or did you have a relaxed parent? How about boss? Friend? When I imagine someone as relaxed, I think of a relaxed response to things I said or did, such as, “That’s okay,” or “No worries,” “I get it.” You might call it understanding. God/I/my boss/my friend is understanding. They don’t condemn me for mistakes I make; they understand, even if they might be disappointed or hurt. Yesterday I read a good thought on accepting people, another word we could use for relaxed.

I’m learning to hold multiple truths at once: I love this person; they have failed me; they are imperfect and matter a lot. If I had it to do over, I would ask more questions and react more slowly so that I wouldn’t just trample all over everything with my longing for something that feels like justice or love but is actually maybe just self-righteousness and bottomless pit of want. (This is 57: Bestselling Author Catherine Newman Responds to The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire, Substack, Oldster.)

“React more slowly.” That’s good. “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15) Gentle, such a lovely word. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) I looked up synonyms for relaxed. I like unperturbed and peaceful.

I love staying at what used to be my mother-in-law’s house right on the edge of a small lake in Michigan. Each day the water is different, sometimes choppy, sometimes like a smooth glass mirror, sometimes sparkling in the sun, sometimes gray and cold-looking. When it’s smooth, I think of Psalm 23, “He leadeth me beside the still waters.”

So many images and words to describe the relaxed attribute of God. Let me know what comes to mind for you! God loves you.

“Quietly, Peacefully,” Lori True