I believe that God is present in my life, my heart, and in my very being. I believe most people believe that as well. I may choose to ignore his voice, or simply tune God out. I may insulate God’s warmth, or create a veil so God’s presence can only be seeen dimly, but God is there. When I look in the mirror no matter how veiled, how insulated, I can see God in my face. I recognize him.
This truth requires me to also recognize him and acknowledge his presence not only in my family and friends, but also in my enemies and those I’d normally deem unworthy. God is just as present in their faces as he is in mine. Thus we must treat and respect them as we treat and respect God.
Sorry–I think I hit enter too fast. Dad, Can you contrast this for me with the often-quoted “there, but for the grace of God go I”? I find myself saying this in my head sometimes when I see someone less fortunate or hear of sad situations–but, the sentiment implies that for some reason the other person is not blessed with God’s grace, but I am–and I don’t think this can be the case. Right?
Rebecca, I think sometimes God’s presence is even more visible in the face of those who are less-fortunate or in sad situations. They seem to handle those situations with a grace that can only come from God. The saying that I probably taught you (Sorry about that!), is meant to thank God for our blessings, not to intimate that God is not present in our neighbor. I suspect that there are times when we look at someone and say “there, but…” and they’re looking at me and saying the same thing.