“God" is really nothing more than a conceptual label. God is a word that every human being can individually fill with personal meaning. For some, God is the "big guy in the sky." For others, God is nothing more than a fairytale. As for myself, I resonate with the words of Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault, in that God entails a more mystical quality of life. She states that “God is all over the place. . . . God is the web, the energy, the space, the light ... revealed in that singular, vast net of relationships that animates everything that is.”(1) We know that which is God, not in logical conceptual reasoning, but in feeling and experiencing God in ourselves, in others, and in all creation.  

The word God is like a finger pointing to the moon. It is a tool of the conceptual mind to help us actualize that which is beyond our conceptual understanding. The Benedictine monk Fr. Thomas Keating writes about this fact as well, saying that "whatever we say about God is more unlike God than saying nothing. If we do say something, it can only be a pointer toward the Mystery that can never be articulated in words.”(2) No human language can truly describe God. In fact, we know God best in silence, when we are settled in inner stillness and free from the confines of conceptuality. It is in that silence that we see how God points to the ultimate truth of reality, to the divine nature of all created phenomena that is far beyond what our limited thinking minds can possibly know.  

In the words of Lao Tzu, as written in the very first verse of the Tao Te Ching, "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The NAMELESS is the origin of Heaven and Earth.”(3) The original conception of Tao was simply the observation that reality has a certain way about it. This "way" encompasses all of existence: life, the universe — everything! Lao Tzu continues: 

“Look at it, it cannot be seen. It is called colorless. Listen to it, it cannot be heard. It is called noiseless. Reach for it, it cannot be held. It is called formless. … [It] is the wonder of all things. … I do not know its name. Identifying it, I call it Tao … eternally nameless.”(4) 

Both concepts of God and Tao point to this "nameless" way of reality. We cannot see it, hear it, nor touch it because it is metaphysical in nature. Because it has no physical manifestations, it cannot be detected by any of our five sense perceptions. Therefore, tangible proof does not exist, and no words can truly name or describe it. We can only feel and observe its effects in our personal lived experiences. In fact, our very existence is a physical expression written in the universal language of this nameless way that can be called by so many names.

I know the Bible is not proof of God, but it can be a lens that guides us to explore who or what God truly is. According to the Scriptures, God is . . . 

Exodus 3:14 -- God is "Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh"

Translated most commonly as "I Am who I Am" or "I Will Be who I Will Be." The meaning of this verse implies that "my nature is evident in my actions." This description of God is derived from the Hebrew tetragrammaton YHVH (pronounced yod-hey-vav-hey), which is a combination of the verbs HVH and HYH, meaning "to be." Thus, grammatically, YHVH means "He who is" or "He who will be," or perhaps more likely, "He who causes things to be." In other words, God is not a noun. God is not a person, place, or thing. God is a verb! God is Be-ing itself. (5)  

Deuteronomy 33:27 — “God is your refuge"

Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge & strength”  

Psalm 73:26 NRSV — “God is the strength of my heart" 

The two Hebrew nouns m’onah and machaseh are translated as “refuge.” They also mean dwelling, habitation, or shelter. God is wherever we find ourselves dwelling, which is none other than the present moment. As Joshua 1:9 states, “God is with you wherever you go." God is always with us because the present moment is always with us -- sheltering and protecting us, right here, right now, in every aspect of our experience. … The two Hebrew words translated as "strength" are tzur and oz. Tzur literally means rock, as in a rock cliff, but metaphorically it means the rock of God. Oz implies that which is our personal strength. Thus God can be found wherever we experience strength in our lives.

Psalm 115:3 — “God is in the heavens”  

The Hebrew word translated as heavens is shamayim, defined as the visible heavens — sky, atmosphere, stars, visible universe, etc.; the abode of God. In the Hebrew Scriptures, God is often referred to as "El Shaddai," meaning “God Almighty” or God of the Awe-inspiring. Contemplating the immensity and vastness of the entire cosmos, or simply looking up at the moon on a clear starry night, can give us a deep sense of awe. It is in this felt sense of awe-inspiring awesomeness that we can experience the true power of God (cf. Rom 1:20; Ps 104).

John 4:24 — "God is Spirit"  

Spirit is the translation of the Greek noun pneuma, which is defined as "the vital principal by which the body is animated", in other words the breath. God is the life giving air that we breathe each and every moment.  

Romans 14:17 — “God is . . . goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Sprit”  

1 Corinthians 14:33 — “God is . . . peace”  

Peace is the translation of the Greek noun eirēnē, "an internal sense of well-being". In the words of St. Paul, “God’s peace . . . exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds” (Phil 4:7). Even Paul recognized God’s ineffable nature that transcends all words and logical understanding. Yet, he still felt and knew the God that is profound peace and well-being.  

 1 John 1:5 — “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.”  

Phōs is the Greek noun for light. It is a metaphor for the "Light of Christ" that dwells in all of us (Col 3:11). "God is light" reflects a Hebrew background where "light" symbolizes knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. It points to the naturally pure and luminous quality of our hearts and minds.  

1 John 4:16 NRSV — "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them."  

Greek noun, agapē: affection, good will, love, benevolence. When feelings and sensations of love are present, then God is present. The more love that is present in the world, the more God will also be present with all of us.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this essay. I hope it’s a valid answer that encourages you to examine how you personally define and relate with the word “God.” I hope it helps you look at how you perceive others who believe or disbelieve in God. The word “God” is REAL. The way people relate to “God” is REAL. The definitions people associate with the word “God” are REAL. Thus, it is my personal belief that to know God as God truly is, we must possess the ability to let go of those definitions and associations. If we can do this, then we will be able to deeply tune into the “nameless way" of existence. We will feel and know that which can be called "God."  

Thanks for the question. May God's strength, spirit, peace, light, and love be forever and always with you :) 

[ References ]

(1) Cynthia Bourgeault, The Wisdom Way of Knowing (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2003), 46.  

(2) Thomas Keating, Manifesting God (New York, NY: Lantern Books, 2005), 1

(3) Derek Lin, Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, 5th ed. (Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths Publishing, 2010), 3.  

(4) Ibid., 29, 125, 51, 65.

(5) Jewish Publication Society, The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed., (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2014), 103.  

* Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quoted from New Living Translation (NLT 2015)  

* Hebrew / Greek words and definitions retrieved from http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Proof is necessary only to justify something. As a Christian, I always say that I don't know if God is real. I'm only a believer, not a 'knower'. While it's true that a claim needs to be proven, it's also true that I'm not making any claim about Jesus. It is the authors of the scriptures who are making the claims. I only tell their news. Telling the news is not the same as enforcing it or selling it for profit. While it is a known fact that physical death will happen, along the way, we will face a decision on whether to help or neglect someone in need. What we decide might ultimately send us to heaven, hell, or just nothingness. My objective for telling the news about Jesus is to motivate others to choose to follow His commandment that requires caring for those in need. Do I need to justify my action?

Science cannot prove that God exists, and it also cannot prove that God doesn't exist.

Who said there is evidence? They use faith.