pictures

at times, i think i limit my relationship with God. because of which, i have come to see that God is somewhat of a photographer. God likes taking pictures. and as far as i am concerned, He’s pretty good at it, too!

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pictures.

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sometimes, i think that the church has a limited view of God’s relationship with us as well.

some paint a picture of God as some authoritarian figure, like that of a king, ready to punish his subjects the second he or she breaks one of the laws of the king’s kingdom, with an emphasis on sin and grace. others have painted a picture of God as this father figure, strong and courageous, able to be fallen back upon. a protector. some have painted a picture of God as a sympathetic mother, with a nurturing spirit and caring tenderness. while yet others have painted a picture of God as this gentle, yet furious lover, passionately in pursuit of His beloved.

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it’s an understatement to say that i don’t understand or fully comprehend God. a God who is not bound by flesh and bones and skin like me. a God who is so adamant about not being bound by limits, that to bound Him by limits in the Old Testament of the Bible typically meant death. to wrap God up in an image of stone or metal like a little souvenir or precious memento that you keep in your pocket is nearly always met with anger. or disdain in the very least.

i find it very easy for whatever reason to create my own God who meets my felt needs or unmet desires. though, i believe God does both. quite often i find myself creating a list…God is this; God does that; God abhors that over there; this is characteristic of God. check, check, check. before i know it, i have this check list of a God that Stephen Covey would be proud of. as a result, i’ve created a sort of snapshot of what God looks like. maybe ‘should’ look like. or maybe, even better yet, what i ‘think’ or ‘believe’ God to look like. and there it is. God’s picture. His portrait, if you will. and like a family photo, i snap the picture with me in it. side by side. me and God. and it hangs above the mantle. easy to reach. easily accessible.

i have to admit. it’s a great looking picture, too. we took it right after we backpacked up that mountain. boy, what a trip! we almost didn’t make it. but we did. barely. cliffs, rock faces and ice structures that would make Hermann Buhl shutter. but somehow, we made it to the top. needless to say, it’s a great photo.

pictures.

the problem with pictures of God is the same problem of God being packaged into a golden image or pocket memento…it may capture what God may look like, but it’s like the iceberg effect – there’s so much more than meets the eye.

i believe God in all His wisdom knew we were going to need help in coming to an understanding of who He is and the relationship we have with Him. so…He gave us pictures.

there’s the picture of the father. there’s the picture of the mother. the picture of the child. of adoption.

there’s the picture of kings and the picture of kingdoms, the picture of lords, pictures of servants, of masters, aliens and citizenship.

the picture of sin. the picture of grace. the picture of rescue. the picture of redemption.

there’s the picture of two lovers, helplessly caught up in one another’s romance for each other. husband. wife. marriage. intimacy. union. romance. each word a picture.

there’s the picture of a shepherd and the picture of sheep. there’s the picture of the cornerstone. the picture of the heart. of the human body. brothers. sisters. brides. bridegrooms. rocks. refuge. fortress. bread. wine. wineskins. vines. branches. drunkenness.

each word a picture. each picture a glimpse of who God is, who we are in relation to God, and the relationship God desires of us.

as i have come to understand (what little i do know of) God, i have also come to see that it is the tendency, especially in my own life, to take one of the pictures, highlight it and elevate it to such a pedestal that it becomes THE definition of my relationship with God.

if there’s such a focus of sin and of grace and of rescue and redemption, so that it excludes all the other pictures, the depth of the relationship is lost. likewise, if you take the picture of the father, highlight it and elevate it to the make it THE definition, you’ve forgotten about the rescuer or of the shepherd, or of the brother.

sometimes, i need one of God’s pictures. like tonight. the picture i need is that of Christ as my brother. you may need one of God’s pictures, as well; you may need God to be a lover…furiously in pursuit of you. you’ve been hurt. past relationships. rejection or criticism. whatever it is, it’s deep. or you may need God to be a father. for you, you may need God to reach out to you. to hold and protect you. to give you the embrace you rarely or, maybe, never received as a child. or maybe you need the picture of the rescuer, of sin and grace and redemption.

if and when you do need one of God’s pictures, may you come to see God as more than just that one picture. more than even a series of pictures like a collage. but may you come to see them for what they are. just pictures. small glimpses of something much, much bigger, deeper, wider and fuller. but may it be a starting point. may each picture draw you more into the mystery of God and the relationship, the union, He desires to have with you!

pictures.

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