Thursday, February 24, 2022

A Better Picture

There is a well-worn story circulating among pastors about a father talking to his young son who was drawing a picture. He inquired, “What are you drawing?” The small boy replied, “A picture of God.” The father quickly chimed in that no one really knows what God looks like, to which the boy confidently responded, “They will when I get through.” 

This story always brings a smile to my face. The truth is we really don’t know anything about God’s physical appearance. Some imagine God with a long white beard sitting on a cloud ready to hurl thunderbolts and others see the divine as light or formless spirit. We know God sent the Son Jesus into the world to reconcile humanity back to the Lord. While we do not have any pictures from the First Century, we do have an image of who God is by what Jesus did. The Apostle Paul speaks to this in his letter to the Colossians.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:15-20,NRSV.)

I think there are opportunities to see God all around us every day. We can catch a glimpse of the Lord in the eyes of the patrons and volunteers at Isaiah 58. There are dim reflections of God in the valuable work of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services. You could hear an echo of God’s voice in the clean water wells dug by Marion Medical Mission. The Lord is all around us; we just need to have eyes to see and ears to hear. I encourage everyone to attend our Discover Mission Sunday on February 27 and learn about the good news delivered daily by our many mission partners. You might think nobody really knows what God looks like, but this event may just change your mind, your eyes, and your heart.

 In Hope and Confidence, 

Pastor Dave


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