Over the past few months, following the release of the children鈥檚 book, , I have had the opportunity to connect with hundreds and hundreds of kids across the country and around the world about how they imagine God. What does God look like? What does God feel like? Who is God? These are big questions for all of us, but their words, drawings and imagination were a powerful reminder of how we all see God differently. I鈥檓 sharing some of their visions and interpretations with you, knowing their contagious faith can inspire us all in the year ahead.
I drew a picture of what looks like the sun, but it is really the Eucharist. When I eat the Eucharist, God鈥檚 light goes inside of me.
This is a drawing of a heart with a peace sign inside. God is love and wants peace everywhere.
I drew a picture of my cat, Marley, because she is very loving, and she never gets mad at me. Oh, I have two cats actually, but I only drew one cat because there鈥檚 only one Marley. Marley reminds me of God.
I made a Stargazer Lily because I see God in that flower. It was my mother鈥檚 favorite flower and she passed away from cancer on October 12th.
See this heart. This is God. God will always love you back.
This is a drawing of a pencil because God is always drawing on us.
The grass represents us, the people, because we grow our faith. The rocks are the disciples (notice 12 rocks). The log is Jesus, burning and dying for us. The flame is the Holy Spirit.
I drew a picture of a shark because they are kind and remind me of God. People don鈥檛 know that about sharks. They are awesome just like God is awesome.
I drew a football because you said that we see God in our gifts. I like football and I think I鈥檓 pretty good. This football is silver, because it鈥檚 GOD and it can鈥檛 just be the regular brown color.
God is love, so I drew a heart with the star of Bethlehem inside.
This is my drawing of a bird. I think God is a bird who flies around and is with us all the time.
God is LOVE. I made a heart and then took some more construction paper and built a case around the heart. Hearts need to be protected because they can break.
I drew a picture of me because God looks like me and I look like God
I made a snowflake because no snowflake is alike and that鈥檚 how God made everyone. I see God in a snowflake.
Look, God has super powers and wings, too.
You can see God and the world in this flower, that鈥檚 why the globe is in the center.
God makes rainbows and flowers to make us smile, so I drew them.
This is a picture of baby Jesus on the cross. Jesus loved us so much that he died on the cross for us.
I see God in every flower.
This looks like a cookie with Skittles candy inside. It鈥檚 the Jesus cookie.
This is a picture of me as a baseball. God made me good at baseball. I see God in me and in a baseball.
This is a heart. We live inside God鈥檚 heart, but God also lives inside our heart.
Here鈥檚 a picture of my family. We are all colored yellow because we are filled with God鈥檚 LIGHT.
God is a ladybug. I think ladybugs are perfect like God.
God is without blemish. (There鈥檚 a picture of the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit.)
God is King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
God looks like a STAR. He is watching over us.
I drew a picture of everything I see when I look outside. I see the sun, clouds, birds, trees, the ocean, the mountains, and animals? God is in all of that.
God has the whole world in his hands. There鈥檚 a picture of the globe with God鈥檚 hands sticking out.
God is a girl.
I drew a picture of my house. God lives in there with us.
God is a giant red heart with a million little hearts floating out.
My name is Mary, so I drew a picture of Mary because she gave birth to Jesus and he is God. I love Mother Mary. Can you write your next book about her?
Interested in the Drawing God Initiative? You can email author Karen Kiefer directly: karen.kiefer@bc.edu
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PHOTO: A series of drawing from the students in the in Northern Ireland.