Commentary on the Gospel of
Finger of God
“Finger” is a polysemous symbol. It can be a symbol of accusation, when someone points a finger at me. When placed over the lips, it can silence me against my will. It can give me orders that may or may not be pleasing to me. Finger can also mean someone pointing to me in delight, reaching out to me to hug and carry me in their arms or on their shoulders. It can show me the way forward. A little child can hold on to the finger of her mom or dad and walk securely. Finger can wipe away the tears of my eyes. When Jesus referred to the “finger of God” it could only mean one thing: the maternal-paternal finger of God that seeks to touch, heal, redeem, protect; the finger that truly wipes away every tear from our eyes (cf. Rev. 21.4). Our call is to be this finger of God.
