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In the Torah, the name of God represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature. The various Jewish names of God represent God, and His divine attributes.* Focusing on seventy two visual representations of aspects of God, as a tool to meditate on and visualize is an interesting idea, and one with very old origins.

Good Christian men are supposed to be meek, timid creatures that come to church every Sunday and lead lives of quiet contemplation, right? John Eldredge doesn’t think so–and I agree. His book, Wild at Heart, is a powerful personal account that shows that the Creator made us with a completely different image in mind.

John Eldredge is one of my favorite contemporary authors. His books take me deeper into my faith. Like hiking up an arduous mountain path, I discover the reward at the end, a scenic view giving perspective to my life. Reading Waking the Dead, I went through a powerful, transformation of my faith. The prayer below comes directly from his book. If it moves you, read the book.

The Zohar is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. It is a mystical commentary on the Torah (the five books of Moses), written in medieval Aramaic and medieval Hebrew. It contains a mystical discussion of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, sin, redemption, good and evil, and related topics.*