God and Purple Trees

An example given at church on Sunday got me thinking about the subject of spirituality, specifically a common misconception about spirituality and the accuracy of our perceptions of God.

The example: When asked (by James, our pastor) about his relationship with God, a guy points at a tree.
"You see that tree?"
"Yeah."
"What color is it?"
"Um... brown."
"That's what you see. But when I look at that tree, I see purple. The point is, it's still the same tree, we just see different things."

The guy was basically saying, "Hey, I see God this way; you see him that way-- but it's all God. We're both looking at the same thing with two different but equally valid perceptions."

Hmm. To a point, I'm inclined to agree with the guy who sees a purple tree. I absolutely believe that every person perceives God differently. Your past, where you live, your culture, your beliefs, your circumstances-- all affect your perception of God. There is nothing wrong with recognizing that different people perceive God in different ways.

That doesn't, however, mean that God is all of these different perceptions. In other words, that doesn't mean every person's perception of God is accurate. I'd venture to say that, in fact, no one's perception of God is 100% accurate.

That, to me, is a key part of spirituality-- seeking to know who God really is. Sometimes along the way we will discover that some aspects of our perception are inaccurate, while others are accurate. If we are truly seeking God, our perceptions will change as we begin to know him more. We may not, during our lives, ever reach a totally and completely accurate view of God. In some ways, I think a complete understanding of God is beyond our abilities as humans-- because we are imperfect humans, while God is perfect.

I think it is a misconception to say, "I see God this way, and you see him that way, and both are absolutely correct." But I also think it's a misconception to say, "I see God this way, and you see him that way, but my way is the correct one and yours is wrong."

In the example of the tree, one perception is obviously correct (the tree is brown) while the other is not (the tree is purple). I don't think God is, pardon the pun, quite so black & white. Figuratively speaking again-- I may see God as purple, someone else may see him as brown, someone else may see him as red, still another yellow. But that doesn't necessarily mean he is any of these; each perception may be right in some ways and wrong in others. God remains God, regardless of how we perceive him, and we are able to reach a more accurate perception if we seek to know him more.