This is a picture of me (left), my high school German teacher, Tom (middle), and my best friend of 37 years, Celeste.  Obviously this is many years after high school!  I’m the only one in that picture with an active faith life, and yet both Tom and Celeste have been God with skin on for me.  They have both shown me God’s love in deep and lasting ways, even though I would bet several small farms that neither one would claim to be doing any such thing.

Being God with skin on for someone might be something you do as a result of your faith.  It is certainly a central teaching of Christian faith, as expressed in commands to love your neighbor and in Jesus reminding us (in Matthew 25) that what we do to others is what we do to Him.  But it is also something you might do just because something deep inside you moves you to be kind to a stray and mangy dog, to give a lift to someone walking home in the cold, to help a family member see themselves as beautiful.

I believe that impulse comes from God, whether it shows up in a Christian, a Muslim, or an atheist.  But these pages aren’t about debating that.  In this blog I want you to have a chance to tell your stories about the people who have brought God’s love to you, knowingly or unknowingly.

Unfortunately, I’m not using a program with a lot of flexibility, so you can’t post here directly.  But if you’ll send me your story and a photo if you have one, I’ll put it up.  Over time a picture will emerge of what it means to be God with skin on for each other.