God is real … God does not change … and so our journey continues. As noted last week, most of us in society look beyond ourselves for support and help when facing irreconcilable differences with disaster.
Many recognize that the movie makers have often used this in the story lines of their anticipated blockbusters. Heroes come from the “other side,” like from the fictitious Superman’s home – “Krypton,” or from the minds and imaginary ponderings of scientists such as Stephen Hawking who now needs “imaginary time” to continue his exploration of the universe’s reality.
Our movie heroes are limited. The answers we find from our mind’s ability to theorize is limited. It is good to realize that we need heroes who save us. It is good to discover the fabric and functioning of the universe. But our works, as well as our conclusions, are all biased – tainted by our own assumptions.
The God who exists and is real and who is stable and does not change has spoken this informing message to us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8&9)
As the impact of this claim of superior intellect and work washes over us, we end up processing it in one of two opposing ways. We can either reject of redirect its content or we can let the content’s message assimilate itself into our operating assumptions.
Maybe this is why Christians regularly operate with the assumption that the God who is, and who does not change, is also the God from the “other side” who is able to reach us and to save us—to bring to us help that is for real and not simply in our imaginations.
This also explains why Christians make such a hubbub at Christmas and Easter. We have continued to hear and receive what the One from the other side says to us,
“Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yes, even the death of the cross.” (Phi 2:5-8)
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month’s s contributor is Rev. Dennis Schutte, Pastor of Life In Christ Lutheran Church.
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