Invisible God
Upon reading Colossians 1 >>
He is the image of the invisible God...
Like peacocks, the gods of this world -- those made by humans and those of darker origins -- strut and parade and attempt to convince us of their existence by their visibility. Money flashes and shines like a pimp while sex stretches out its legs like a hooker to draw us in. Along with all the visible, tangible gods, they say, "now here is a god you can hold in your hand. A god that will do you some good, that's made of something real."
But you, Father are an invisible God. And there is more truth to that than all these showy impostures. We do not see a god of any kind. That is our experience. There is at no time a way for us to say, "there he was." We assume you, guess at you, theorize about you like gravity. But we do not see you. But these so called "gods," who are very visible, fail us in our time of need, and though we see them they are shown to contain neither real power nor divinity. But a God we must struggle to believe in (for again these impostures are so easy to believe in), that is a God of the real world that often seams as empty and alone as dark, cold space.
So our faith is a faith that can handle doubting, perplexity, mystery, and skepticism. Of all the faiths of the world, this is the one that says, "come all you who struggle in seeing God; all who are honest enough to admit his invisibility." Our faith admits he is invisible, that we have to choose to see you. We are neither embarassed by, nor do we need to explain away why you can't be seen. And that is the best thing for us. For if you were as visible as the sun, all of who we are -- our individuality and freedom -- would be burnt up in your evident glory.
But for those of us who choose to see, we are not left guessing. Rather you have sent us messages from the behind the curtain. You are self-revelatory. The Word is your image, through which the entire universe exists and continues to live. From burning engines of galaxies to the least cell in my body, by the Word they all live and move and have their being. And what is much more, the Word became flesh -- the only true sighting of you -- and dwelt among us. And some beheld his glory, full of grace and truth, such that it fills the world with both.
And though in this present age I hear only rumors of this man, I find reason to believe. First, because he too could admit that we could not see you, only he had ever seen you. And so he was honest about the human experience. And second, because I choose to see him in my life, and when I do, you are more real to me than I am to myself.
May the world see you, invisible Father and Friend. (I saw you today in the working of divine appointments that built faith and saved a life precious to you.)
He is the image of the invisible God...
Like peacocks, the gods of this world -- those made by humans and those of darker origins -- strut and parade and attempt to convince us of their existence by their visibility. Money flashes and shines like a pimp while sex stretches out its legs like a hooker to draw us in. Along with all the visible, tangible gods, they say, "now here is a god you can hold in your hand. A god that will do you some good, that's made of something real."
But you, Father are an invisible God. And there is more truth to that than all these showy impostures. We do not see a god of any kind. That is our experience. There is at no time a way for us to say, "there he was." We assume you, guess at you, theorize about you like gravity. But we do not see you. But these so called "gods," who are very visible, fail us in our time of need, and though we see them they are shown to contain neither real power nor divinity. But a God we must struggle to believe in (for again these impostures are so easy to believe in), that is a God of the real world that often seams as empty and alone as dark, cold space.
So our faith is a faith that can handle doubting, perplexity, mystery, and skepticism. Of all the faiths of the world, this is the one that says, "come all you who struggle in seeing God; all who are honest enough to admit his invisibility." Our faith admits he is invisible, that we have to choose to see you. We are neither embarassed by, nor do we need to explain away why you can't be seen. And that is the best thing for us. For if you were as visible as the sun, all of who we are -- our individuality and freedom -- would be burnt up in your evident glory.
But for those of us who choose to see, we are not left guessing. Rather you have sent us messages from the behind the curtain. You are self-revelatory. The Word is your image, through which the entire universe exists and continues to live. From burning engines of galaxies to the least cell in my body, by the Word they all live and move and have their being. And what is much more, the Word became flesh -- the only true sighting of you -- and dwelt among us. And some beheld his glory, full of grace and truth, such that it fills the world with both.
And though in this present age I hear only rumors of this man, I find reason to believe. First, because he too could admit that we could not see you, only he had ever seen you. And so he was honest about the human experience. And second, because I choose to see him in my life, and when I do, you are more real to me than I am to myself.
May the world see you, invisible Father and Friend. (I saw you today in the working of divine appointments that built faith and saved a life precious to you.)
posted by soulster at 11:23 AM
2 Comments:
Interesting post... pretty vivid imagery describing the gods of this world. I'll be reading more of your blog, keep posting. Good food for thought.
Thanks for the feedback. The Old Testament, especially the Prophets, uses graphic sexual imagery for idolatry while it speaks of our relationship with God like a marriage -- not always easy or even healthy -- but better and more beautiful than "dirty sex" of putting faith in gods of our own making. I think we should reclaim this language since our culture more than inderstands the imagery and can often make the connection to why idolatry is like dirty sex.
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