Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Seek.

I read something really good that our Senior Pastor wrote for the church news letter. He was talking about looking for the image of God in one another as a spiritual practice. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, check out Genesis 1:27 at oremus.org. Faced with this scripture, the theological question becomes one of response. In other words, what do we do with the knowledge that every human being was made in God's image?

So here's where Ed picks up with the idea:
It's not an easy thing to do. But I've come to realize that we find whatever we're looking for.
If you look for dirt, you'll find it. If you look for God, you'll find God. I'm talking what you focus on in each situation you face and in each person you encounter. I nthe worst sinner, if you look hard enough, you will find the image of God. I can attest to that, having developed relationships with two men who were on death row. And I can attest that if you look hard enough in the holiest of saints, you'll find some dirt; or a demon they struggle with or something dark that haunts them. Trust me as your pastor. There are skeletons in everyone's closet and problems in the best situations; just as there are good things to find in the worst situations. The key, for each of us, is this. What are we looking for? After all Jesus said, "Seek, and you will find."


Personally, I'd rather look for the good. There's enough bad, and sad, and tragic in the world to depress me several times over. It's a whole lot nicer to find God.

Let's look for that, then.

Be good to each other.
Rev. Josh
090606

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think you know me well enough by now to know that I'm not a religious person, in the orthodoxed sense... but this is something I really believe strongly in. It makes you wonder why anyone would ever want to focus on the negative. Of -course- you're going to find something bad ... congratulations. Now, wouldn't you rather have found something good?

Ed is right, it can be hard to do sometimes. When circumstances are tough, it can be especially hard to see the good in anything. But the moment you "wake up" and once again begin to focus on (and look for) what's good... well, things just start looking better. Keep it up, and then soon things actually -are- better. Hehe, I know it sounds corny, but it's true!

I truly believe that every person has the power to shape his or her life exactly how they want. It only seems natural that something as fundamental as whether you choose to focus on the positive or the negative would have a tremendous impact on that life.

Sometimes it can be tough... sometimes we need a little reminder every now and then... but in the end, I think it's worth it. It's the way I try to live my life, and I believe I am better off for it.

~ 'Rinn