and the broad waters become frozen.
He loads the clouds with moisture;
He scatters his lightning through them.
At His direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever He commands them.
~Job 37:10-12
I must admit it. The first time I read Job 37, I imagined Dumbledore standing in a pool of clouds, gracefully performing all the actions Elihu describes. I'm sorry for being such a dork, but I did. =]
Just in case you've lived in a hole for your entire life, I'll describe Dumbledore's appearance to you. He's quite old, has long white hair and a long white beard. He has a long nose, blue eyes, and wears librarian-style glasses. I'd say he kinda looks like a taller, thinner version of Santa Claus. He's also a bit intimidating... It may seem kind of odd, but that is how I imagine God looking.
I guess sometimes I get these ideas of what people look like. I hear someone speak, or I read something about them, and poof, here comes this little painting of what they (theoretically) look like. A perfect example is listening to a radio show; the portrait you paint in your head is the complete opposite of what the person actually looks like.
Does all of this actually come down to stereotyping? I visualize what people look like based on what kind of people I think they are. Then I assume they look that way.
God is far greater than any Dumbledore or Santa Claus. So it may be an automatic reaction, but God is way more than I can begin to imagine about, so why try to stereotype Him? I think I also need to try to keep my mind open and not be so quick to stereotype (I find stereotyping completely irrelevant and potentially hurtful)...
Photo #37: Smashing stereotypes. (Yes, I am actually a squirrel. My favorite trees are redwoods. =])
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