The other night my family and I watched the new film "Dolphin Tale." It is a movie based on the true story of Winter, a dolphin who lost her tail at two months old after it became entangled with a crab trap. Now as you can imagine, or if you have seen the trailer, this movie is a tear jerker, (my kids and I have a contest to see how many times my wife will cry in such a movie-I think Dolphin Tale is the new leader) and more than a few tears were shed as we watched the film. One of the things that I enjoyed most about the movie was how this dolphin was an inspiration for others, especially children, who had lost legs or weren't able to run, jump, etc like the other kids. At one point this girl who had lost one leg (we never know how it happened) drives a long way to see Winter and when she does she says, "she is just like me." Winter was an inspiration to this girl and many others because they could relate to her.
There is a parallel here with the Christian faith, God is someone that we can relate to through Jesus Christ. When we read the Gospels we see that Jesus' life was anything but easy. He is dismissed by his hometown, his own family calls him crazy, and the few friends he has abandon him when he faces his most difficult challenges. And then he experiences death. Whatever you have been through God has been there too.
Are you able to relate to God? Do you believe that when you struggle you don't struggle alone? That whatever you are going through God has experienced before and he experiences it again with you? Are you able to relate to God? Too often we think of God as this distant deity that rules from afar, deeply removed from us and our experiences. If we feel that way we need to remind ourselves of the 30+ years that God spent on this earth in the form of his son. God can say, with complete certainty and confidence, "I know what its like, I have been there too, you are not alone" because he has been there before and he is there with you now.
God IS someone we can relate to. I hope you feel that way too.
See you in church,
Chris
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First of all, Chris, THANK YOU FOR FINALLY WRITING A NEW BLOG!!!! You've made many people happy today!
ReplyDeleteThen, I read it: do you really think that people think of God as someone "just like them"? Someone who has experienced the same things in life? REALLY? Like job loss, divorce, adultery? Jesus did have to endure an awful death and abuse, etc., while on earth, but I don't believe that we can or should assume that God (Jesus) knows our griefs and sorrows because he has gone through the same things. He knows them because he is God, and can sympathize - but not really empathize. God has not been left by a husband for another woman; he has not known the horror of sexual abuse, or alcoholism, or drug abuse; he has not endured cancer or some other chronic illness. It is, in my opinion, rather simplistic and cavalier to just throw out to the readers such platitudes and expect everyone to say "Oh, yes! You're right: God is on my side, he does know what I'm going through, and he is always there for me!" No, I think most people have no idea what it feels like to believe the God is there for them, or that God loves them, and cares about them. And I know that you will say that I don't trust him enough, and you're probably right about that. For most of us, it just doesn't work to hear that God is "always with us" or " knows what we're going through." What makes God real for me is hearing - and knowing - that he is NOT like us, that he is so much better than we could ever hope to be, and that he still LOVES US and wants us to be better. Better is often all we can strive for. We need to know that God is in the midst of the storm and not just the rainbow; that he weeps for us and with us and sometimes gets really angry when others don't do what they should; and we need somehow to believe that when God says he is God, we know what that means. How in the world can I ever relate to God? He is not my friend or coworker or peer or boss or companion: he is God and I'm not.
Who is relating to whom?
ReplyDeleteCertainly in our pain we can relate to Jesus' struggle--but on a much lower level. However, we can no more fully relate to God as the Holy Other than my cat can relate to me. We can get glimpses because now only see in a mirror dimly.
However, what I read into Pastor Chris' blog was that we have a God who can relate to us. While we may think that we have experienced the absolute worst that this world can hurl at us, it truly pales in comparison to the suffering of Jesus. That's why the author of Hebrews says that we have a High Priest who understands us for he has endured the same. Or the Psalmist saying that this is a God who knows us so well that even before the words are on our lips, he knows them. Or Jesus when he says that even the hairs of our head are counted.
Whether or not we can fully relate to God is secondary to the gift that this is a God who can and does relate to us.
Pastor Scott
When my son was very sick a year ago, I felt sick and was miserable. I didn't have the horrible headaches that kept my son from doing everything He enjoyed but I still cried and suffered. Was God going through it with us? I believe he was. He gave me strength to make medical decisions and comfort to share with my son. I doubt God has ever had a horrible debilitating headache but I'm certain he related to our suffering and experienced sadness watching the months unfold. God also probably rejoiced when the pain finally ended!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with what you said, Scott, Chris did - several times - refer to us relating to God. And I suppose I took it a little too literally, which I usually do. I guess I am far too wounded a sinner, by my own doing, to see what you and the other respondent see. I wonder why it is that we regularly pray for peace in the world - for how long? - and still, no peace. And I remember that this is the same God who stilled the waters IMMEDIATELY when the disciples got scared in the boat, and I am confused. And while I can gain comfort from knowing, on some level that God can relate to me, I am far more concerned and interested in his forgiveness and grace toward me. I don't want to be confused; in fact, I would dearly love to believe the way that others do. And I think I once did; but when life began to happen in a large way, it seemed that God sort of disappeared, or at least melted into the background. And I prayed and prayed for that not to happen, but it did. I certainly hope that God rejoiced when your son got better - what I don't know is if God relates to us on some ethereal, intellectual, detached level, or as an involved, loving, empathetic family member. I know what your answer is and what you would say. But sometimes I feel as though I'm praying to the air and I don't know how to change that. Maybe God has given up on me...
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