Everywhere I look, I see the face of God

“Everywhere I look, I see the face of God.” —Hazel Bowman (Sunday service, May 4, 2025)

Practitioner Hazel Bowman was the service leader and speaker this past Sunday and started off by inviting the congregation to turn to one another and say “Everywhere I look, I see the face of God.” It reminded me of how when I was in my early 40’s, I visited many churches of all different faith traditions, including mainline Christian churches, looking for a church home and how some services would invite parishioners to say to one another, “And peace be with you.” It was during a time in my life when I felt isolated, and so to have someone look me in the face and acknowledge me with this blessing was a gift I treasured.

When I later started to attend services at North Hollywood Church of Religious Science, I was taken aback by how they extended this cordial peace offering into full-blown welcomings with people extending their hands to embrace my hands and others offering me a hug. But after I got to know some people, I joined in the enthusiasm of giving and receiving hearty exchanges of greetings. Then we returned back to in-person services after Covid, I was saddened that we no longer reached out to touch one another. I missed that part of the service which was so fully embraced by all that we would have to be called back to order, much like kids being called back to class after recess. And so, when Hazel extended her invitation of greeting, it reminded me of how important it is to fully recognize one another with love, for that is what we do when we see the face of God in others and ourselves.

When I became a Practitioner, the first class I TA’d was a Foundations class. I remember how I invited my pod of students to see each person as another face of God, especially if they found someone to be challenging. I told them how my then-boss was not a particularly happy camper and so I would say to him, silently: “You are the face of God, I hold you in my heart, you are a part of me, you are the face of God.” Yes, I would silently treat with these words from the beautiful Karen Druker chant. When they first heard this, the group laughed. I then joined in their laughter because I realized that what I’d just shared with them probably sounded silly, and I understood how it could feel a bit childish to express and accept such loving affections – even silently.

One of the many beautiful wonders of witnessing children is how they can share their love so audaciously and generously. During this same time period, I would make sure to start my daily walk at the same time each weekday morning. This was because if I timed it right, I would walk by one particular home where a toddler would stand on the front porch and yell out loud to her father as he got into his car, “I love you Daddy!” The father would then turn around and yell back to her, “I love you too honey!” That’s how I feel when I see another person as the face of God, that I’m saying “I love you,” and that in return God is telling me, “And love you too dear one.”