Zebra spotting in an African safari park is easy. You pay a guide to take you to the zebras and you photograph them to prove you saw them. Bird watching is more difficult. They are small, keep fluttering around, and there are numerous species to identify. In such cases, observers’ guides are an essential tool for the enthusiast. The search for God has similarities to bird watching, train and aeroplane spotting, and even butterfly collecting. This invaluable book is a guide for God spotters. The task before us is to help the enthusiast spot God. That first glimpse, followed by the exciting first meeting, makes all the hard work of the quest worthwhile.
Allow me to tell you something about myself. I am Albert Steinberger, a lecturer in field guides at the University of Sydney. I have ascended to late middle age having written several well-received field guides and I am eager to apply my expertise on behalf of God spotters. Our Publisher too, specialises in field and travel guides, although I think he wants to be a movie producer. Readers should not be dismayed at my candour. In this digital age, publishers need not read the books they publish, and I am sure mine does not. Never mind, Dorothy, my wife is an excellent typist. [Note from Dorothy: Hello readers!]
Before tackling our task, you might wonder what attracts people to God spotting. There are trains to spot, bird sightings to record, bugs to catch, whales and celebrities to watch. Where does one find the time and money for God spotting? The value of God observation is much greater to the God observer than the yellow-billed leg-shaker (a much sought after rare bird) is to a twitcher (a birder who seeks rare birds). Furthermore, twitchers themselves are rare in the population but 93.6% of people I surveyed are interested in God observation.
As someone who has devoted much time to observational pastimes, I assure my readers that God spotting has a special fascination of its own. A religious turn of mind is unnecessary and may even be a hindrance. I was astonished to find that adherence to a religious organisation bears little relationship to one's success at God spotting. However, I acknowledge the valuable help of experienced members of the God Observers’ Club, which attracts God observers like robbers to a bank. I have sought experts in both God observation and God avoidance, to give a well-rounded appraisal of the field.
Another thing I need to warn the reader of before going into the field is the negative remarks unkind people make, such as, “it’s a load of bollocks”, “you may as well try spotting live dodos”, “a venture for the foolhardy”, and remarks that are even more colourful. I do not want the novice to lose heart and refrain from venturing into the field. Your guide has encountered the objections, false trails and phantom appearances. Be assured, there is a way through the jungle. The delights of God observation lay before us.