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Q&A with Heidi Goehmann Deaconess Heidi Goehmann is a licensed clinical social worker, theolo- gian, and author. Her latest book, Emotions and the Gospel: Created for Connection, explores our experience with various emotions in light of Christ's redemption and restoration. How does being curious about our emotions help us learn more about ourselves? About our Creator? We often think of emotions as a defining factor of our humanity, but God is an emotional being, both in His humanity in the person and work of Jesus Christ and in His divinity. When we widen the lens and see emotions as a place we can learn more about God, it provides some truth about emotion that isn't dependent on only our experiences of them as messy, confused, hurting, loved, redeemable human beings. When we have the foundation of God to firmly stand on, we are grounded enough to then explore and discover more about our- selves with both the Law and Gospel informing us. We end up with a more honest reflection, a fuller confes- sion of our needs and hurts and desires before God and in the relationships in our lives. You mention in your book that God is emotional and suggest that we often don't think about God as having emotions. What characteristics, moti- vations, or actions of God might we miss out on if we don't consider His emotions? It is tempting to oversimplify God, and in looking at God as emotional, we negate the ability to simplify Him. We see God's love and God's indignance, God's affection and God's wrath, God's deep desire and God's remorse. These emotions are complicated, all represented in Scripture as part of God's experiences in humanity and divinity, and while they might make us uncomfortable, they help us truly know God more, all of Him. 4 Lutheran Life

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