Seeing God

Like many of our friends with parents still alive, Colin and I worry constantly about his mum and dad. They live in Belfast, so not nearby, and he and his siblings are attempting to walk a tightrope between continued independence and adequate care to support their increasing frailty. Top of our concerns at present is his dad’s failing eyesight - he has had to give up driving - and his persistent deafness - he can’t hear if his mum calls for help if she has a fall.
 
Poor eyesight and deafness can be common aspects of ageing and sadly, significantly affect a person’s quality of life. Despite advances in aids and technology, it’s noticeable that deaf people listen less well and people with poor eyesight observe and notice less.
 
As Christians we strive both to hear and to see our Lord. Poor hearing or sight loss shouldn’t hinder this desire, making it neither easier nor harder to draw closer to God as we age.
 
Let’s look at the idea of seeing God. John’s Gospel tells us that no one has seen God, except Jesus, who was with Him in the beginning. The spiritual nature of God enables us only to perceive Him and not physically see Him. As Jesus is the embodiment of all that God is, then if we are to see God then we must look at Jesus.
 
The Old Testament carries stories of people apparently seeing God - Moses speaks to God in the burning bush, Jacob wrestles with God and Isaiah has a prophetic vision - but as Timothy says, He lives in an “unapproachable light and no one has seen or can see” (Him). Our only way of approaching God is through Jesus.
 
That doesn’t mean we can’t see God in other ways. I have written previous blogs about how colourful our world is and how there is nothing man-made about the spectrum of colour and array of beauty in nature. Many will say they feel closer to God when they are outdoors in nature where they can appreciate His amazing creation.
 
A dear friend who is a member of our congregation recently received a very distressing diagnosis for which there is no cure. Having felt unwell last autumn, she underwent some tests which came back clear so she put it to the back of her mind. With a trip already booked to visit her son overseas, she went as planned and had a wonderful holiday. Some weeks after returning, she went back for further tests which led to the current diagnosis.
 
“I can see God in this,” she said. No matter whether the first set of tests missed something, or the illness came on later, her faith is unshakeable, and she is convinced that God wanted her to make this important journey to see her son. Had she been diagnosed sooner, she would not have been allowed to travel.
 
God has his hand in all our lives. Being able to see this, day to day, or even with hindsight is what really counts. Not being able to see God, in the physical sense doesn’t matter, but it shouldn’t stop us paying attention and looking for Him at work in our lives. And then giving thanks for all He does.
 
A prayer - Dear God, open my eyes and my heart to see you working in my life.  Don’t let the busyness get in the way of noticing and observing. Amen

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash