57 pages • 1-hour read
Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere
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Themes
The Personal Impact of Divine Love
One of the central questions the book interrogates is the nature of divine love and how it influences human life. From the outset, Guthrie reflects, “All I know is it took me a long time, a lifetime of church and no church, faith and not much faith, seeking and failing, hoping and falling, to understand this basic precept: mostly what God does is love us” (4). This statement encapsulates her conviction that understanding divine love is a journey of spiritual exploration and that divine love is the foundational element of faith. The book proposes that understanding and accepting this love is crucial for personal transformation, suggesting that faith is not mostly about religious practices or dogma but about experiencing and embodying God’s love in one’s life.
Guthrie further develops this theme by discussing specific ways in which divine love can manifest in human actions and its impact on both the giver and receiver. Guthrie contends that “For those suffering, God might be too difficult to believe in, too far removed, too esoteric a concept to be felt. Who can blame them? […] When we look someone in the eye, offer our coat, or invite a stranger to sit with us, we transmit the love of God” (253). Here, the book suggests the idea that divine love is not only a personal, internal experience but also one that is expressed through acts of kindness and compassion. Guthrie maintains that these actions, rooted in love, have the power to transform both the individual who gives and the one who receives, highlighting the communal and relational aspect of divine love.
This understanding of divine love and personal transformation reflects broader Christian traditions, particularly those that emphasize the relational and incarnational aspects of faith. In Christianity, the concept of God’s love is often central, embodied in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus’s ministry focused on love, compassion, and service to others, as seen in numerous parables and actions such as healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the marginalized. This mirrors Guthrie’s assertion that divine love is experienced and expressed through tangible acts of kindness and compassion.
Guthrie’s interpretation of Christianity is described as one that values a personal and practical faith, rooted in the lived experience of divine love and its expression through acts of kindness. This approach aligns with a more experiential and relational understanding of Christianity, where faith is seen as a dynamic and ongoing relationship with God that transforms individuals and communities. It reflects the notion of incarnational theology, where God’s love is made manifest in the world through human actions, and the idea of imago Dei, which suggests that humans, created in the image of God, are called to reflect God’s love and character in their interactions with others.
Ultimately, for Guthrie, personal transformation is a dynamic and continuous process, intertwined with an evolving understanding and experience of divine love. This journey is characterized by a series of challenges and revelations that contribute to one’s spiritual growth. Divine love, both experienced and expressed, serves as the catalyst for this transformation, Guthrie argues, and true spiritual growth for her is an ongoing engagement with the divine in everyday life. For Guthrie, faith is a practical, lived experience that requires ongoing engagement with the divine. This engagement transforms both the individual and the community, suggesting that personal growth and communal well-being are interconnected. By embodying divine love, individuals participate in a transformative process that aligns with the core principles of Christianity, ultimately leading to a more profound and authentic spiritual life.
Faith Amid Adversity
Throughout the book, Guthrie often discusses the struggle to maintain faith during times of suffering and uncertainty. One example she explores along with this theme is the biblical story of Job, who remained faithful despite immense suffering, losing everything he valued. Guthrie contends that Job’s unwavering faith amid severe trials—losing his wealth, family, and health—demonstrates the value of resilience. According to Guthrie, Job’s faith strengthens because he continues to believe in God’s goodness despite his immense suffering. This persistence in faith, even when logic and circumstance provide no clear reason to do so, highlights the resilience of belief. Guthrie finds discomfort in the idea of Job receiving a “replacement” family, as it challenges the notion of genuine restoration. However, the message she draws is about enduring faith: that maintaining belief through the worst adversities can lead to an eventual reaffirmation and strengthening of one’s faith.
Guthrie also shares personal experiences and those of others, such as Nelba Márquez-Greene, whose daughter was tragically killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. Before the Sandy Hook shooting, she and her husband attended a Bible study that focused on the Book of Job, which emphasizes enduring faith amid severe trials. This study helped prepare them emotionally and spiritually for the immense grief they would face, offering a foundation of strength that Guthrie describes as “robust and gutsy” (231). Additionally, Nelba’s faith guided her to find a sense of purpose amid her suffering. Rather than succumbing to despair, she channeled her grief into advocacy and support for others affected by similar tragedies. Her faith inspired her to believe in a greater purpose and to work towards creating a positive impact despite her loss. This belief in a higher purpose and the active engagement in helping others provided her with solace and hope, demonstrating how faith can sustain individuals through their darkest times. Through these experiences, Nelba’s faith acted as a source of resilience, enabling her to navigate her grief while maintaining a sense of hope and purpose, which she then extended to her community and beyond.
Throughout the book, Guthrie emphasizes that faith does not eliminate questions or doubts; rather, it provides a framework for navigating them. She argues that an authentic relationship with God involves uncertainty and questioning, another form of adversity, which she considers essential parts of faith. She attempts to illustrate that faith and doubt can coexist through personal experiences, such as grappling with her father’s sudden death and enduring personal difficulties in her mid-thirties. During these times, despite her feelings of abandonment, she leaned into her faith, believing that God was present and working through her struggles. She views doubt not as the opposite of faith but as an integral part of it, strengthening her connection to God and deepening her spiritual journey.
Ultimately, Guthrie argues that faith amid adversity is about choosing to believe in God’s goodness and presence even when circumstances make it difficult. This choice is seen as a daily commitment to hope and trust, despite the prevalence of suffering and injustice in the world. Faith, she suggests, is about believing in a better future and a loving God, even when immediate evidence might suggest otherwise. Mostly What God Does explores faith amid adversity by presenting stories of resilience and trust in God despite significant challenges. It suggests the idea that faith can provide strength and hope, helping individuals to endure and find meaning in their struggles.
The Balance of Joy and Sorrow
Guthrie presents the balance of joy and sorrow as not only intrinsic to the human experience but essential to one’s spiritual journey. She acknowledges the pervasive presence of heartache, torment, and injustice in life, which often challenges faith and hope. Despite this, Guthrie argues that it is precisely through these struggles that faith finds its most significant expression. She highlights that maintaining belief in God’s goodness amid suffering is an act of faith, requiring individuals to look beyond immediate pain and trust in a larger, divine plan aimed at ultimate redemption and healing.
Guthrie finds moments of joy in the natural world, art, music, and acts of kindness, which she describes as “God’s love language” (145). These moments are not just transient emotional highs but intellectual and spiritual affirmations that reinforce her faith. For instance, she recounts the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, whose hearts “burned within” as Jesus spoke to them. For her, this story exemplifies how recognition of Jesus’s presence and the realization of divine truths can ignite a deep, inner joy that transcends their initial grief and confusion. It underscores her belief that spiritual revelations and connections with God can provide powerful, joyful experiences even during times of sorrow. Guthrie emphasizes that these experiences of divine joy are reminders of God’s presence and love, acting as beacons of hope and reassurance during difficult times.
Moreover, Guthrie explores how personal losses and hardships have shaped her understanding of joy and sorrow. She shares stories of people who have experienced significant tragedies yet found ways to see God’s hand in their healing and recovery, much like the previous example of Nelba Márquez-Greene, whose daughter was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. Despite her immense grief, Márquez-Greene’s faith provided her with the strength to continue and the purpose to advocate for others. Guthrie uses this narrative to argue how deep sorrow can coexist with and even enhance one’s sense of purpose and joy. Guthrie also discusses the transformative power of grace and forgiveness in her life, particularly in the context of her relationships and personal failures. She describes moments of reconciliation and forgiveness as sources of deep joy that emerge from sorrowful experiences. This theme of redemption is central to her message, suggesting that through grace, individuals can find new beginnings and a renewed sense of joy.
In addition, Guthrie explores the theological underpinnings of this balance, drawing on scripture and personal reflection. She interprets biblical stories and verses to illustrate that joy and sorrow are part of God’s plan for human growth and redemption. For instance, she reflects on the Psalms, which often juxtapose expressions of despair with declarations of trust and joy in God. This biblical context reinforces her argument that embracing both joy and sorrow leads to a more resilient and authentic faith.
Ultimately, Guthrie’s message is that the coexistence of joy and sorrow is not only inevitable but essential to a meaningful faith. She encourages individuals to embrace both aspects of life, suggesting that doing so allows for a fuller, more resilient faith. By recognizing the reality of suffering and holding onto the hope and promise of divine love and ultimate redemption, Guthrie contends, individuals can navigate life’s complexities with a grounded and hopeful perspective.
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