How do you describe what is invisible? How do you see something so small, it fills up all the space in between? How do you not see something that is so big that it defies all boundaries? How do you describe the wisdom of the ages wrapped inside the fury of intense love, capped off by gracious justice and rigid lenience? How do we describe a God who’s only predictability is that he is unpredictable?
How do you describe God? How do we actually make him known?
We generally begin by talking about how big he is or how incredibly vast his power is. We speak of creation. Of the outer limits of an ever-expanding universe filled with more suns and planets than a man could count if he spent a lifetime counting.
We would go on to try to describe a love so vast that it swallows every objection and holds in perfect rapture the essence of our being. We make it absolute and overwhelming, but gentle and not overpowering.
By pure logic, we try to argue his existence… the order of the universe, the random beauty that defies utilitarian evolution. We speak of universal laws that have no place in the hierarchy of science, yet seem to be comprehensive in each land and tongue.
We try to describe him by using adjectives. Yet the stories of his love, grace, fury, faithfulness, graciousness and wisdom defy our languages. Even the stories of his rescue, triumph, patience and salvation seem to coalesque into stories that seem to be more fable-like to some than could be dipped in reality.
The Bible describes him as the one who fills in everything (Eph. 1:23). It describes him as the one who created and continues to create everything. (Gen. 1) He is the one who holds it all together. (Col. 1:17) He is the one who will tear it all apart. (Is. 24:1) He designs and creates on a macro and micro level. (Ps. 139)
How do we describe him? How do we help a world grasp who he is? Even talking about the simple 33-year life of his Son, the people who knew him best said eventually… “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25NLT
Making God known, completely known, seems utterly and completely unfeasible. How can we do it? We have made this one of the core purposes of our church. To Make God Known. How is it possible for the world to grasp and know its own Creator? What could possibly be the compelling and irrefutable proof?
In words... impossible.
You see, God did not send a book to the world. He sent us.
We were made in the image of God. We were made to display his glory. We were made to be imitators of God. We were created to do good works. We were to be filled with his Spirit and we would do greater things than these (the things that Jesus did). God knew the testimony of his power, love, greatness, justice, mercy and grace could not be written or contained by the words of books. But his power, justice, love, mercy, grace and greatness would be displayed in us.
We are the proof.
We are at first receivers of these amazing gifts, and then we are their display.
We make God known. Not in the words that we speak (though we ought to speak good words), or the bumper stickers on our car (and I’ve read some good ones.) We make God known when people see the image of God in us.
We are the book. We are the words. We are the canvas. We are the display.
Every time we serve people, they see the God who humbled himself to serve them.
Every time we give to people and meet their needs, they see the God who gave first of himself… before we were worthy.
Every time we serve a child, they see a Jesus who called the children to come to himself.
Every time we deny ourselves and give outrageously, when the needs of others outweigh the toys of our creation
Every time we hand out food, rake leaves, repair roofs and sheds. When we build ramps, sponsor children, volunteer at hospitals…
Every time we sit in a world where grief seems to rule and smile knowing that this is not the end…
Every time we walk arcos the street with a meal, or down the street with a wheelbarrow…
Every time we take up the cause, or lay down our lives, pick up the pieces or try to put it all back together again…
The image of God is seen. The glory of God is known. It gets just a little clearer what God is and how God acts and who he claims to be.
Go be the proof. Make God Known.
~ Andy