Seeing Things Unseen
Originally scheduled for
May 31
Many
living today are proud of their hard-nosed, “show me” attitude towards life.
But if you examine it, even such people still have the problem of seeing that
which intrinsically cannot be seen. A simple example of this is ever-present:
the wind.
It’s
easiest done, I’m told, at sea with sailing ships. An experienced sailor can
tell you wind speed and direction simply by looking at other ships.
Determining the course of the other ship and the set of her sails will tell the
speed and direction of the wind.
On
land it’s a bit more difficult. But all of us are familiar with the sound of
the wind; trees bending in the wind are familiar sight. We see the unseen, then,
by its effects.
In
the air it is more difficult. The best methods use radar – that is, we use the
unseen to see the unseen.
We may
be assured that others do this to measure the Holy Spirit in our lives. Some
see us as sailors do – they see the direction we’re headed in, and the actions
we are taking (like setting sails for that sailor) and can then determine just
how much the Holy Spirit is in us. Others see us like the trees – bent, and
making a howling noise. Our anger and our words also tell others about the
Spirit within. People see our results and estimate the unseen cause.
We
have a more difficult problem in Communion. All that we can see are the
visible elements of bread and wine; how does the Christian see beyond this?
Those looking at us see the visible; when we look at Communion we must see the
unseen – and discern the body and blood of Christ. We do it (like the radar
for the wind) with the unseen –the power of the Holy Spirit. If we see only
the elements themselves, we see nothing. But if we have the Spirit open our
eyes, we see the body and blood of Christ – the sacrifice he made on the cross
for our salvation. As long as Christ remains unseen we will do this. When the
faith becomes sight, we will need it no more.
