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Let’s never make the mistake of thinking that God is primarily interested in religion. Many of us were probably raised with the belief that if we wanted to find God that we had to use one of the religious means at our disposal. We could go to church, we could read the Bible, we could pray. If we followed one of these paths we’d be sure to find Him, elusive as He sometimes seemed to be. But I have learned that these are not the only ways to connect with God. God does not limit Himself to “sacred” means when it comes to reaching us. His Divine fingerprints can be found in the most unlikely of places, if only we are paying attention. One of my dear friends felt the first stirrings of spiritual longing in listening to a Cat Stevens record, a longing that once awakened led him down a different path than Stevens himself. Another person I know first began to believe after a visit to the Grand Canyon. There she got a glimpse of something even bigger than the awe-inspiring canyon itself. Whoever had created that canyon seemed worth getting to know. Annie Dillard writes of being overwhelmed by God while meditating upon a tree or while watching a moth circling closely around a candle flame. I have felt my heart raised to the heavens standing in front of a Chagall painting and while gazing into a jeweled night sky. I have caught the scent of another world in the salty air as I walked along a deserted beach. William F. Buckley once said, in all seriousness, that the music of Bach was the best evidence of God’s existence. When I hear the joyous polyphony of the Brandenburg Concertos or lose myself in his Mass in B Minor, I know just what Buckley was talking about. And I have had that same experience of God’s presence while listening to John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, or U2. There are glimpses of transcendence all around us if we have “eyes to see.” There are hints of something bigger than the world around us, imbedded messages of God’s power, majesty, mercy, and love that surround us, just waiting to be discovered. God is always coming toward us. The question is, are we awake enough to glory in His arrival? I’m learning to live with my eyes wide open, paying attention to the rumors of glory. |
Comments
Great thought Terry. I found God at a Christian University, but it wasn't in Chapel or a religion class. It was the Soccer Field. He spoke to me through sports.
Nice, nice piece. You capture the sights and feelings all of us have had at one time or another. After reading your blog, I reflected on how woefully short we fall when it comes to making time and space for such experiences. When David wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God," I don't think it was a chance encounter with the night sky that prompted his exaltation. More likely, he was standing out on his porch gazing into the night, considering the majesty of something he knew little about, other than the fact that God created those dots of white. Now we have devices that allow us to peer far beyond the panorama David could see with his naked eye. Yet knowing what we know (which should lead us to assign even greater glory to God), how often do we "stand on the porch" in order to see what God has done?
Thanks for the thoughts, Terry! I began my relationship with Jesus at 9, when my older sister shared the gospel message using a simple tract (and I am forever grateful!). But something amazing happened in my spiritual journey when I was 17 and sitting on a rock under a beautiful, star-filled sky (and I've never been quite the same since that encounter). God can use a variety of ways to speak to us (as He certainly has with me!). You're right--we just need to learn to live with our eyes wide open.
Thanks for this blog, Terry. Sometimes there are scenes in movies that leave me wanting, aching, longing for more of God. It's like the verse in Psalm 27:8 (NLT) that says, "My heart has heard you say, 'Come and talk with me.' And my heart responds, 'LORD, I am coming.'" It's cool to think that we have a God who chases us, reaches out to us, and is not limited to one way of showing up in our lives. I love scenes in movies, music videos, blogs, art, etc. that lead me to wanting more of Him. Often this "longing" drives me back to prayer through journaling or studying the Word. I agree that it's good to live with eyes wide open!