As King on a Throne

This is the classical view of God. He is King over us all. He sits on a throne and dispenses justice for his Chosen People.

I like this image, because you cannot actually ‘see’ God: it is just the central Light of the Throne Room that catches our awareness. A bit like the flash of an atomic explosion: horrifying in its destruction, but awesome in its power.

As Architect of the Universe

William Blake saw God as the Archetype of Creation. But he would have been considered blasphemous if people had understood that Blake was suggesting that God was actually the Demiurge, the Lord of this world only. That’s why laws and rules were created: to keep us under control.

As George Burns

We really prefer to think of God as a harmless, but funny, old man, shuffling about the Earth as a wise-cracking recruiter of messengers. George Burns made a nice change: he made God human.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of God in “Bruce Almighty” was a complete surprise. The year was 2003, a full five years before Barrack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America. Do you think it had a subliminal effect on the vote?

Now we realize that even ‘God’ has feet of clay: who could have seen that coming?

Conclusion

When the Bible says that God made mankind in his image, I suspect it was the other way around. And as we develop a better understanding of ourselves, we will better understand God, too.