What are we talking about when we talk about God?

When we talk about God, we're not talking about a measurement. 

It's not like you pull out a ruler and find the answer, 

trim it down and sand it smooth to suit your purposes.

We’re not talking about the snow that froze like concrete across a place you’d never want to be.

We don’t mean the color you’d choose if you’re looking for wallpaper. It’s not like that. 

It’s not a choice you make or a thing you find. It’s not even yours to wonder about.

When we talk about God, we're not talking about a way to minimize your pain.

It’s not your medicine. Not your night on the town. Not your coping mechanism.

It’s not your metaphor. 

When we talk about God, we're not talking about anything made of the same particles that make up you and me. 

We aren't talking about your mother, your husband, your more difficult child.  

It’s not your home. Not your lawn mower.

When we talk about God, we aren't talking about a choice.

We aren’t considering the way you feel, head cradled in your arms while you wait for your lover to come back. 

We’re not looking out that window. We aren’t talking about planets, the sun, or solar panels.

When we're talking about God, we mean vocabulary.

It’s a way of speaking if you can find the right words. 

There are specific containers that are appropriate for holding it in. 

When we're talking about God, we're not talking about your green thumb. Your houseplants or your cat.  

We might talk about blood, but only if we’re talking about the right kind of blood.

We aren’t talking about your face or facts. We aren’t talking about airplanes, glaciers, or where we’re going to spend our money. 

We might discuss the time you first heard your child’s heart beating, but not one second after.

We aren’t talking about your gender or who you love unless you’ve turned it upside down and made it matter.

We aren’t talking about who you want to be or how you’re going to become that person. 

We aren’t thinking about how brave it was for you to finally tell the truth. 

These things don’t matter when we’re talking about God.