My wife woke me early wednesday morning with an intense look on her face. "Ray, come here. You have to come see this". I followed her to the window in our bathroom and this is what we looked at together. From where we stood, it looked like a 90 foot illumined cross standing in our neighbors front yard. That night, before I went to bed, I had asked God for an increase in faith. This was yet another powerful "sign" in a string of supernatural happenings in my life this month. It turns out that we had a full moon that night and in that particular moment this is the way it shined through our bathroom window. It was also God showing off. Please keep in mind, I've been "demysticized" by the modern seminary experience. I'm an educated theologian that has learned that every story of the supernatural can carry symbolic meaning for a deeper purpose. I've often heard stories "less educated" Christians share about encounters with God that are supernatural and I think to myself "I'm sure that is true on some critical narrative level". But I'm coming to believe that sometimes, God just chooses to do some crazy things in our everyday experience to encourage us and get our attention. God's character is to be active through deeds of redemption, transformation, salvation, and liberation in people's lives. That often happens in hidden, invisible, and subtle ways. But sometimes, God wrecks shop. Sometimes, God does things in our natural experience that are beyond our expectations and understanding so that we might know divine power and love. This early morning sign of God's love through my bathroom window is an encouragement from God to me. God is encouraging me to expect more from him, to stop limiting, boxing-in, and compartmentalizing him in my neat little sections of existence. My God is too big, too creative, and too willing to be known to be limited by my concepts and religious knowledge. I want to know the God who exists beyond my understanding and explorations. I want to know the supernatural God.
"Lord, I love it when you blow me away. I am so glad that you reveal yourself in ways that make me feel small. In those moments, my faith increases, and I hope anew for your Spirit to do mighty things in my life, in the church, and in the world. Keep showing off I pray through the name of the incarnate deity, Amen".
Brilliant picture and a wonderful reminder of the beauty and wonder around us at all times. I am thankful that you remind me of the mysteries of God all the time. I also am very much frustrated at times that I am trained to know about God, but often that comes at the expense of knowing God.
ReplyDeletePeace.