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An Image We Have Constructed

by Richard Steven Adams  
1/26/2011 / Christian Living


This morning I read, then marveled, "Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters." What do these kinds of remarks do to the heart of Christ?

Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible. I've read it many times and still feel like I only know the Readers Digest version. Finishing up Job once again, I wonder, as did Richards in the Teacher's Commentary, "Is it possible that their (Job's friends) trust was not in God but in an image they had constructed in His likeness?" Is Robert Bentley's faith in an image that he has constructed?

We who claim to follow Christ, have we read the Scriptures for ourselves? How many times does God's heart go out to a person the religious say is unclean, not my neighbor, not my sister, not my brother?

How often do we hearken to an image of God that we construct? Do we worship that image? Who of us has seen God? Who claims to have heard God's voice? Was it God's or your own? Romans 1:20 says there is no excuse for not knowing God. Creation screams God's existence. If you put a new half gallon of ice cream in the freezer and return to find it half full you know someone has been in the refrigerator. Still, whether or not we deny God makes God no smaller or bigger, but the matter of trusting in an image of God that we ourselves have constructed has always been an issue.

We may have infinity in our hearts, but the concept of infinity and eternity is beyond our understanding and imagination, as is God. We have limits, but forget God has none.

In my life God does the unexpected; takes a path I would not choose, blesses people I would not bless, surprises me with the unexpected, and makes me spend much longer in the wood shed than I think necessary. In some matters I think I can almost touch the finishing line, but God keeps pushing the finishing line further and further away. I can almost see God smile as if to say, "You can love more."

Looking back I see the rubble of beliefs I no longer hold; beliefs that came from an image of God I constructed in my own mind; from friends, family, tradition, education, experience. How could I have believed what I did?

I see that letting go of binding beliefs has been liberating and I wonder about the verse that says whatsoever you bind on earth is bound in heaven. Do we unwittingly bind and limit ourselves, as well as others, with our self-absorption? Do we push away the very people we are supposed to love with our conceited, hypocritical, exclusiveness? When we exploit our planet's resources; as well as strangers, friends and family, we dishonor the God we cannot understand. We not only bind our self to the deck of a sinking ship, we punch holes in the hull.

God is so much bigger than theology, history, science ... my own simple questions and yes, my ever changing beliefs. The more people I meet, the more people I get to know who are different from me, the more the why's and the wherefore's slip unnoticeably away. God remains, unchanging while I change; love remains, and so too the call to grow kinder, come nearer, go deeper.

Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. He said upon this the whole law rests. Who is my neighbor? May I refer you to the Gospels, the words in red, the words in blood.

Richard does Spiritual Direction and occasional video projects for George Fox Evangelical seminary where he received his M-Div.

http://www.yukonangelproductions.com/

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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