The monthly meetings of brothers provide a chance for deep and spirited discussion on our relationship with God. The current theme by Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" certainly does not lack for interesting topics. A question asked by brother Victor that first appeared to be a little odd by a believing Christian was "what is God?" Why would a Christian question the familiarity with the foundation of our faith, and seemingly not to know it -- at least not well enough?
It is an aspect of our belief that is often overlooked, and even taken for granted...at least in my case until the simple question was raised. The world has many definitions for the term "god," but our LORD is far beyond the generic description of an all-powerful and supreme creator. Yes, He is truth, spirit, life, justice and love; and the source of healing, provision and protection. But it all seems pointless unless we are somehow intimately connected to those attributes -- that we are part of God's essence and not set apart from an academic distance. Only then does He come alive in our minds and sets fire to our hearts.
And upon further reflection, it dawned on me that, although God is ultimately unknowable in our current capacity, still we must continually and daily search out His many manifestations meaningful to us. We may not comprehend him fully in our minds, but when our hearts are moved to love Him so dearly, "what God is" then is everything we need and desire.
Yesterday, I heard my daughter, Ariel, humming the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It quickly brought me back to the summer of 2007 when music filled the air with Eva Cassidy singing this song, then repeated with an rendition by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, the Hawaiian singer as the dove released from my mother's hands soared to heaven with the spirit of Grace (my youngest sister).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Not knowing then the meaning of the dove and rainbow as I do today a reborn child of God, He was there with us, comforting the grieving hearts. When the dove came back in the evening time with a newly plucked olive branch, it symbolized the deliverance of salvation from the wrath of God by the death of Jesus Christ, and He painted a rainbow across the sky with the covenant that, no matter the gathering storms in our midst, destruction shall not befall us -- so long as a rainbow is seen. Today I take comfort in Christ, the beautiful, multi-colored rainbow, which renews the promise of God each time a little raindrop dampens my spirit, that the nights will be followed by sunny days...and shall never cease.
For this precious moment, my god is the promise of a rainbow...
James
It is an aspect of our belief that is often overlooked, and even taken for granted...at least in my case until the simple question was raised. The world has many definitions for the term "god," but our LORD is far beyond the generic description of an all-powerful and supreme creator. Yes, He is truth, spirit, life, justice and love; and the source of healing, provision and protection. But it all seems pointless unless we are somehow intimately connected to those attributes -- that we are part of God's essence and not set apart from an academic distance. Only then does He come alive in our minds and sets fire to our hearts.
And upon further reflection, it dawned on me that, although God is ultimately unknowable in our current capacity, still we must continually and daily search out His many manifestations meaningful to us. We may not comprehend him fully in our minds, but when our hearts are moved to love Him so dearly, "what God is" then is everything we need and desire.
Yesterday, I heard my daughter, Ariel, humming the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It quickly brought me back to the summer of 2007 when music filled the air with Eva Cassidy singing this song, then repeated with an rendition by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, the Hawaiian singer as the dove released from my mother's hands soared to heaven with the spirit of Grace (my youngest sister).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Not knowing then the meaning of the dove and rainbow as I do today a reborn child of God, He was there with us, comforting the grieving hearts. When the dove came back in the evening time with a newly plucked olive branch, it symbolized the deliverance of salvation from the wrath of God by the death of Jesus Christ, and He painted a rainbow across the sky with the covenant that, no matter the gathering storms in our midst, destruction shall not befall us -- so long as a rainbow is seen. Today I take comfort in Christ, the beautiful, multi-colored rainbow, which renews the promise of God each time a little raindrop dampens my spirit, that the nights will be followed by sunny days...and shall never cease.
For this precious moment, my god is the promise of a rainbow...
James
