Human beings are arrogant. There, I said it! I got it off my chest and feel a little better. Well, sort of. I don’t like the thought of being arrogant, but I cannot escape the reality. I have the tendency to look at the world and think that all I see is all there is. Perhaps this is one reason I enjoy the education process, exploring the world and learning new things. It’s an exciting, and again, humbling experience.
I was scanning the Internet this morning in my daily quest for knowledge and information. I take seriously the advice from well known theologian, Karl Barth, to preach with a Bible in one hand a newspaper in the other. I read an article about how a previously unknown species of crustacean was discovered in an undersea lava tube off the coast of Africa. Friends, this amazed me! I have to admit that it’s almost inconceivable to me that there could be things in this world that have yet to be discovered. With all the advancements humanity has made in terms of science, it amazes me that we’re still making discoveries. And speaking of intellectual arrogance, my guess was if humanity can place lava tunnels under the seafloor, or walk on the moon, it stands to reason that we’ve seen it all. But then the awareness of how little we really do know comes to bear, and I am brought back to the awareness that there are mysteries of life and creation I’ll never be privy to. That’s awesome and it excites me!!!
Let’s face it: we live in a mysterious world. We want to think we know it all, have seen it all and done it all, but the reality is we’ve barely scratched the surface. There is more to this world, and the God who created it than we’ll ever know. I can almost hear the voice of my 7-year-old say when discovering something new and cool, “Awesome!”
We throw that word, ‘awesome,’ around quite easily these days. We describe toys, games, movies, music, sports plays, and all sorts of other things by saying they are awesome, but that word has an entirely different meaning. The word, awesome, literally means, holy. I’m serious. It really does. When we discover something nifty and new, and declare that it’s awesome, we are, in a sense, acknowledging the awe of God. Our task as God’s children, therefore, is to share God’s total awesomeness in the world and with the world. We need to step aside and allow our hearts and minds to be filled with the awesome mysteries of God and share them with others.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, “Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” (Ephesians 3.8-9)
God’s world is indeed a mystery and isn’t it a beautiful thing!?!? There are so many things we do not know and so many things we won’t be able to know until we are united with Him in heaven through the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ! Paul also wrote in his letter to the Colossians, “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (1.15-17)
Despite all the things we don’t know and likely will never be able to learn, we can place our faith and hope in Jesus, the most awesome person who has ever lived and lives today. He is holding all things together; not the least of which being you and me! It’s awesome to think about and awesome to share! As we have seen God create, and acknowledge his presence and activity in daily life, we, too, can see just how awesome it is.
Be awesome and have an awesome rest of the week!
I was scanning the Internet this morning in my daily quest for knowledge and information. I take seriously the advice from well known theologian, Karl Barth, to preach with a Bible in one hand a newspaper in the other. I read an article about how a previously unknown species of crustacean was discovered in an undersea lava tube off the coast of Africa. Friends, this amazed me! I have to admit that it’s almost inconceivable to me that there could be things in this world that have yet to be discovered. With all the advancements humanity has made in terms of science, it amazes me that we’re still making discoveries. And speaking of intellectual arrogance, my guess was if humanity can place lava tunnels under the seafloor, or walk on the moon, it stands to reason that we’ve seen it all. But then the awareness of how little we really do know comes to bear, and I am brought back to the awareness that there are mysteries of life and creation I’ll never be privy to. That’s awesome and it excites me!!!
Let’s face it: we live in a mysterious world. We want to think we know it all, have seen it all and done it all, but the reality is we’ve barely scratched the surface. There is more to this world, and the God who created it than we’ll ever know. I can almost hear the voice of my 7-year-old say when discovering something new and cool, “Awesome!”
We throw that word, ‘awesome,’ around quite easily these days. We describe toys, games, movies, music, sports plays, and all sorts of other things by saying they are awesome, but that word has an entirely different meaning. The word, awesome, literally means, holy. I’m serious. It really does. When we discover something nifty and new, and declare that it’s awesome, we are, in a sense, acknowledging the awe of God. Our task as God’s children, therefore, is to share God’s total awesomeness in the world and with the world. We need to step aside and allow our hearts and minds to be filled with the awesome mysteries of God and share them with others.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, “Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” (Ephesians 3.8-9)
God’s world is indeed a mystery and isn’t it a beautiful thing!?!? There are so many things we do not know and so many things we won’t be able to know until we are united with Him in heaven through the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ! Paul also wrote in his letter to the Colossians, “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (1.15-17)
Despite all the things we don’t know and likely will never be able to learn, we can place our faith and hope in Jesus, the most awesome person who has ever lived and lives today. He is holding all things together; not the least of which being you and me! It’s awesome to think about and awesome to share! As we have seen God create, and acknowledge his presence and activity in daily life, we, too, can see just how awesome it is.
Be awesome and have an awesome rest of the week!
1 comment:
That's an exciting perspective! It is encouraging to know that God, who is so big, creative, powerful, and... awesome loves each of us so much. I look forward to more realizations of God's "awesomeness" that he lets us experience. :)
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