See God?
Author: The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
April 21, 2021
A child asked me if I can “see” God. She was concerned
because she could not. She had heard others say they “saw” God, and she felt
left-out. I pondered the question for a minute and realized it was a tougher
request than I had thought.
How do
you explain “seeing with the eyes of faith” to a 4-year-old? Here is one idea:
Have you noticed the Spring flowers blooming? That is one way we see God. Have
you seen the birds building their Spring nests? That is one way we see God.
Did you
see the sunrise this morning? That is one way we see God. The fact that you and
I are here, is another way we see God. Everything on this earth was made by God
for our enjoyment. The flowers, the birds, the sunshine, and you and I; all of
these are ways we see God.
We see
God when someone opens a door for us, says “please” or “thank you”, or offers a
kind word. We see God when we receive kindness or share a smile with someone.
We see God when people work together for a common cause; a cause to improve the
world for everyone.
Conversely,
we cannot see God when we are full of hate and anger. We cannot see God when we
are fighting with one another. Negative emotions and actions cloud our vision
and prevent us from seeing God in others.
Perhaps
that is one of the answers to the problems facing us today; seeing God in
others. I admit, it is sometimes difficult to see God in some people. But,
maybe that is more my fault than theirs. If I have decided who is good or bad,
right or wrong, in or out, I am not seeing God in them.
If
others are to see God in me, I need to practice seeing God in others. That does
seem to be the most difficult task; looking past our judgments to see God in
others. Or, is it more difficult to allow others to see God in us?
I have
noticed that young children are more willing to accept others than grown-ups
are. They haven’t formed their opinions of others yet; they learn that from us.
We have to be careful what we teach children.
Their
ability to “see” God can be stifled by what they see and hear from us. Their
ability to work successfully as future adults depends on what they are taught
at a very early age. If we want them to see God, we must let them see God in
us.
That
means we must be cautious of what we say and do. A good friend once said to me,
“I saw a man giving food to a homeless person, and I saw God.” “I saw someone
stick-up for another person in trouble, and I saw God.”
Can
your children see God in you and themselves?
Blessings and Peace to You All,’
Fr.
David+
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