by Rev. Aidan Moon
When You Can’t See the View
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.
One of the great joys of the location of our church is the views.
As I step out of the door to our office, I have been able to see some incredible sunsets, and the glory of the mountains – a reminder of the gift of where I get to live.
But it isn’t always that way. While sometime the view is amazing, other times are like this particular day, when a snowstorm settled in and blocked out the view. While normally the mountains draw your attention, distracting you from the sheds, apartments, and dumpsters in the middle distance… today there was no avoiding it.
Frankly, I have often felt that this resembles our experience of faith. Sometimes, God’s goodness is clear. Others, the visibility is low, and you can only see what is right in front of you. And sometimes, what is right in front of you can feel bleak, or bland, or boring.
This is why this verse from 1 Corinthians has often been a powerful one for me.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
1 Corinthians 13:12, English Standard Version
The Glory of God is veiled for us. It is hidden. We don’t “see clearly” in the present tense – we have to rely on God’s Word of promise. We rely on that beauty which is veiled, even broken. We rely on the tragic beauty of a cross – God seems hidden. But that isn’t the end of the story! We aren’t doomed to an obscured view – we are waiting for a view that far outweighs the mountain peaks I love so dearly. We are anticipating seeing the God who already sees us. While we feel that we just don’t quite get it, in the face of the tragic experiences of life or even of just the mundane… we can have confidence that just as God’s visibility is not limited, just as he sees and knows us (and loves us!) we will see and know too. What a view we will enjoy! Hold onto that in hope, when the clouds settle in and it’s hard to see.
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
