The Glory of God...

I hear it all the time.  "For the Glory of God".  "For God's Glory".  Over and over again... yet no one ever defines what they mean.  It's a catch phrase... Christian lingo.  If you want to sound pious... theological... orthodox... end what your saying with "For the Glory of God".  

The other day a presenter put a quote up on the power point screen - a quote by Descartes - something to the effect of the end of science is the health of people.  Of course, the quote was quickly dissected and deemed lacking in truth.  After all the end of science is the "glory of God" not the health of people.  I interjected.  My point?  What if the health of people is the glory of God?  What if loving our neighbor as our self is loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind...?  Didn't Jesus say what you do to the least of these you do unto me?

Don't get me wrong - I believe in the glory of God.  I just think that God loves what he has made.  That in Jesus Christ God has demonstrated his glory by moving out of himself to be for the other - to be for his people - to be for his creation.  God is glorified by rocks being rocks... and cows being cows... humans being humans.  Therefore, when we use our God given ability to make sick people well... when we use science and technology to help people be people we are glorifying God.  After all - God wants us to be human and Jesus died on the cross to prove it.

Maybe I'm a bit weary of all the grandeur... the lofty theological definitions that make God into the big narcissist in the sky.  All of our definitions, terms, propositions, and doctrinal statements are blown up by the scandal of the manger and the cross.  God loves us - he loves all of creation - and he wants us to be what we have been created to be. He wants our humanity. Glory be...