After years working for the Church, I can honestly say that even though I feel closer to God, I still cannot fully grasp all that is God. The complexity of God has been the source of many volumes by many writers and theologians. The crazy reality of growing in a relationship with God is that the more you get to know God, the more complex God becomes.
But I think that is true of human relationships as well. I feel like I can really peg a person one way or another after only meeting him or her a few times, but my wife and children continue to perplex me. Getting to know someone means you begin to uncover the layers of personality, feeling, and emotion that make up each human being. For those who see God as only a force or a light, God is simply defined. But for those who seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, the God we find in relationship has many layers as well.
But that which we do know for certain about God comes to us primarily from the person of Jesus. He called us to a way of life by not only teaching us about how to live, but by showing us the example of his life. Our God is defined by generosity, sacrifice, compassion, and, of course, love. The more we incorporate these characteristics into our own life, the more we bear witness to the true nature of God. Then others can see a God that is a little less complex because they understand him through you and me. Our life will speak more than all the volumes written by all the theologians.
Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS
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