Imagine - God was one of Us!!

What if God was one of us!!

If God had a name what would it be?
And would you call it to his face?
If you were faced with Him in all His glory
What would you ask if you had just one question?

And yeah, yeah, God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
And yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah

What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Tryin' to make his way home?

                                                                 …..Joan Osborne

What a beautiful song….Imagine what if God was really one of us!! Not living up there somewhere, controlling our lives and keeping record of all our deeds to be judged on the day of judgement (well atleast that’s what we have been told or made to believe).  In this day and age, what ‘avataar’ would He had taken, what would He look like and more importantly what profession would He be following. He surely needs to work and earn his living…. can’t think him of being a politician!!

Historically, ‘God’ was known to take the most common profession of that milieu before graduating to declare himself God or His Messenger or His Son.

In today’s day and age, there is no dearth of professions to choose from, so finding and encountering God is a difficult task.  I have tried to list some of the professions God could possibly be doing. The list is not exhaustive so please feel free to comment and add.

1.      Medicine – The noblest profession from time immemorial and very easy to associate with God. Healer of pain and misery, He could probably be a Doctor – would he be an allopath, homeopath or a practitioner of alternate medicine. Would He recommend going to different labs to get innumerable tests or give a medicine just like that!! Would he face the criticism of organised drugs (medicine) lobby or will he succumb to the pressures of economics.  What if God was a doctor?  

2.      Legal Profession – This is interesting, more and more people are getting into legal problems and they require genuine help, either from their counsel or the judge. In fact, we have been told that the God is the supreme Judge so what if he is a Judge and wants to judge us while we are still alive rather than when we die or afterlife.

There is a saying that be careful what you wish for, it might come true.  Same is the case with Judges and lawyers, be careful what you ask or write, cause they can interpret in a totally different way, giving you what you asked for but perhaps also giving what you did not ask for. It has happened so many times with our prayers, you ask God for something and then voila…you wish you hadn’t asked for it. So next time you enter a court, just think what if God was a judge or a counsel who argues well. But will he give you dates or will he pronounce judgement even if you are not able to give enough evidence in favour of your defense. Will he work gratis or charge an exorbitant fee?

3.      Police / Defense – God is the protector and that’s what police or defense services are supposed to do. Will He be asking for protection money? Or will he act even before you file FIR.

4.      Banker – Ok…let’s admit it, all of us want material well being and that’s what we ask for most of the time in our prayers. For all the things that money can buy, you need money and that can be provided by a banker, a benevolent funder.  So will He give you without asking for collateral and if the universe is all about give and take, how will you repay Him.  

5.      IT Professional – The most common profession of our times. Atleast in India. Would God be looking to get a Green Card through H1B visa? What kind of coding would he be doing? Is He working on the next generation of AI and VR, controlling and monitoring our lives.

6.      Artist – Look around yourself, and you can’t but admire the beautiful creation He has created. (not if you’re staying in Delhi..but go to a countryside and you will know what I mean). Is he creating a template for another planet, or redesigning our own.

7.      Teacher – We all turn to God to guide us through bad times and seek His blessings for known and unknown problems, just like we used to turn to our teachers when we were kids. What if God was a lecturer or a professor who through his lectures and writings give a new direction and dimension to our old, rigid thoughts. But will he be taking private tuition? 

8.      Godman –…God bless himself if he is a Godman in today’s day and age.

The list is never ending and the more we think about his profession, the more you see him doing or being part of everything and see him in everybody that touches us in our daily lives. So perhaps, it not ‘what if God was one of us’ but rather ‘God is in everyone of us’.

This sufi song, and one of favourite summarizes it beautifully…

Har Mein Har Ko Dekha by Warsi Brothers