Godsbeelde in die konteks van die rouproses

Abstract

Images of God in the context of loss grieving

Human beings express their experiences of God by means of language and images. Language not only represents or reflects experience, but also shapes it. The same holds true for religious language. Believers who experience loss, seek to find God and the role of God in their changed circumstances. During their experience of loss and grief, people can either image God in a negative or a positive way. This article investigates different imagery of God, such as the king-judge image, the family image, the friend image and the lover image. These images are explored in order to indicate their possible contribution towards nurturing hope within the context of loss grieving. The article does not express a preference for any one image of God, but rather emphasizes the importance of utilizing God images in such a way that God’s presence can be experienced as moments filled with hope. The article concludes that this is achieved when the God images which people hold on to in their time of need and suffering reflect God’s love and presence as mirrored by the cross and resurrection of Jesus.