*Jack’s Winning Words 4/8/22 “Quiet, He might be listening.”  (Rita Smilovitz)  Detroit sportscaster, Bernie Smilovitz’s  mother died recently.   She was a Holocaust survivor, actually seeing family and friends being taken away, never to be seen again.  Shortly before her death, Bernie asked her if, after all she had seen and endured, did she still believe in God.  She responded, “Quiet!  He might be listening.”  I see her words as a statement of faith, punctuated with humor.  Christians typically state their faith, using the Apostles’ Creed.  Does the Lord “listen” to ALL  voices?  ;-)  Jack FROM JJ IN SJ:  Sure, He/She most certainly does.  I’m sure the communications are open loud and clear in Ukraine right now. ===JACK:  If God had a choice, what color, gender, nationality, race, religion, etc might IT be?===JJ:  Never it, it seems.===JACK:  How does one describe the indescribable? ===JJ:  Perhaps there is no need to describe. Only to experience ===JACK:  That would come through IN-SPIR-ATION.  God's Spirit connecting with our spirit. FROM THE SCIENTIST:  Yes====JACK:  No need for a translator, either. FROM BB IN CHGO:  Omigosh – we used to say that and I recall saying something similar to my children.  God heard you!===JACK:  I think that one of the scariest symbols for God is the BIG EYE.  He sees you when you're sleeping.  He knows when you're awake.  Oops, that's Santa Claus.  But, it's God, too.  The "eye" is even on the back of the dollar bill.===BB"  Right, is that eye benevolent or not? Last night I joked with my mom about missing “fire and damnation and hell” as I was raised with a bit of that in Missouri Synod.  We were discussing the situation in Ukraine – hell on earth - as well as people who set others up for a fall without a care.  I told mom I kinda miss that rhetoric and that we’ve lost something in our society with people being so selfish and uncaring and destructive with no fear of retribution here or in “the beyond”.  Can’t believe I said that to her but I thought it and she understood and kind of laughed with me. ===JACK:  As long as there's life there's opportunity for bridge building...parent and child.  Congratulations to both of you. FROM SR R IN SC:  Oh, yes! God is not as we are!!!===JACK:  In order that we might know Him better, He came to us in the human form of Jesus. FROM BLAZING OAKS:  i BELIEVE HE DOES. I BELIEVE OUR GOD IS OFTEN "TOO SMALL", AS A BOOK I ONCE READ SUGGESTS!  ALMIGHTY GOD IS JUST THAT:ALMIGHTY!! ===JACK:  What does it men...All-Mighty?  I think it's something beyond being a miracle worker.  I like All-Loving!  That can mean lots of things. FROM OGDSEN DAVE:  That's a beaut, John.===JACK:  I hope that God liked it, too...if He was on His laptop.