Apr 29, 2013
Focus reading: Rev 21:10, 21:22-22:5
In the history of our faith, God has been with people in lots of different ways. In the Old Testament God was with people in some dramatic ways but it always seemed to be the select few and even then God was never with people face to face. In the New Testament, God was seen to be especially present in Jesus. In Jesus, many of the Bible writers speak of us meeting God face to face. He revealed God in a way no one has before or since, but not long after the events of Easter, people stopped seeing Jesus. They were no longer “face to face with God.” For the early church and for Christians right through to today, we may meet God as we read the pages of the Bible, or as we ponder creation. Many encounter God through the inner witness of the Spirit. The writer of Revelation, has a vision of the end of time, and of the life beyond this life. It is a vision of God truly being with people and people truly being with God, a vision of being truly face to face with God. It’s a wonderful, and as I said last week, even motivating vision, but what about now, while we wait for the next life?
On this Mother’s day I am reminded that there is another way we encounter God. It is through people. For many of us one of the first ways we encounter God is through our mums. Through their love, and care, through bed time prayers, and through sharing their faith with us, we get a reflection of God’s love. All of us are called to shed this light, to be mirrors of God’s love for others.
Questions for thought and discussion.
What kind of a mirror are you? In what ways do you reflect God’s love to your family and friends?
Do you find the vision of today’s reading from Revelation inspiring, or just difficult to understand? (Rev 21:10, 21:22-22:5)
If your mum is still alive, and she had an important influence on your faith, have you taken the opportunity to thank her for that gift?