God does not exist. God is existence

Acts 17:27b-28 God is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being.

God does not exist. God is existence

Summary: You don’t have to go searching far and wide for God. You are already breathing in God’s presence. The question isn’t “Does God exist?”—it’s “Am I awake to the God who is already here?”

Dear Beloved,

This week, I’ve been thinking about a line from theologian Paul Tillich that might sound startling at first: “God does not exist. God is being-itself.”

Before you throw your coffee across the room, hear me out! Tillich wasn’t saying God isn’t real—far from it. He was trying to help us imagine God in a deeper way. When we say something “exists,” we usually mean it’s one thing among other things—a chair exists, the moon exists, you and I exist. But God is not one “thing” in the universe, even the biggest or most powerful thing.

Tillich says God is being-itself—the very ground and source of existence. In other words, God is the reason there is anything at all. Everything that exists lives and moves and has its being in God (Acts 17:28). God is not far away, but closer to us than we are to ourselves.

This means God is present in every breath you take, every act of kindness, every sunrise, and even in the quiet depths of your own soul. You don’t have to “find” God somewhere out there. You are already living and breathing in the reality of God’s presence—right now.

So maybe the question isn’t, “Does God exist?” Maybe the question is, “How can I become more aware of the God in whom I already live?”

Then the prayer is “open my eyes to you, God,” Pastor Anny+

The Rev. Dr. Anny Genato+

Rector