Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 40

Day 40

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy 

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Seeing God 

Augustine 

God is invisible. He cannot be seen with eyes but with the heart. If we want to see the sun, we should purge the physical eye. In the same way, if we want to see God, we must purify the eye with which we see God.  

Where is this God? Listen to the gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” We should not imagine God according to what we want to see. For then we would make God out to be some huge form an immense expanse. This figure would extend in all directions like the light we see with our eyes. So either we would make God out to be as big as we can imagine or else picture God as a benevolent old man. 

Don’t imagine any of these things. But imagine this if you want to see God: “God is love.” What sort of face does God have? What shape does it take? What stature? What feet or hands? No one can say. And yet it has feet that carry people to church. It has hands that reach out to the poor. It has eyes that show those in need. These are not separate parts of love but bring complete understanding and sight to those who have it. Live in love, and love will live in you. Dwell, and you will be dwelt in. 

TGB: Two implications of the resurrection of Jesus. First, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Second, the start of a journey to Emmaus and beyond.