Seeing the Invisible God

Humans long to see and know God, but how do you see the invisible? How do you grasp the Eternal?

Letter from St. Paul

The Second Reading on the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians gives us a powerful answer: “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). This is probably one of the earliest Christian professions of faith. In Jesus Christ, we can see God, we can come close to him, know him and begin to understand his love. In Jesus’ words, actions, his love and sacrifice, we see the very heart of God. We no longer need to search the stars or intellectualize in hopes of finding a distant God. In Jesus, the invisible One has shown us his face. We no longer need to wrestle with an abstract mystery, we are invited to follow a person: Jesus.

The Light of Christ

In Jesus, God’s presence shines. Seeing the face of God calls us to live in such a way that his love becomes visible to the world. How do we do that? Jesus gives us the greatest response in the Gospel with The Parable of the Good Samaritan. It is one of the most wonderful teaching stories. The Samaritan doesn’t just feel sorry for the man who fell victim to robbers, he shows kindness by helping, by being present and showing mercy. What adds power to this story is that the man was most likely Jewish and Jews at that time avoided and despised Samaritans.

Living the Gospel Message

The invisible God lives in every part of creation. If Jesus is the image of the invisible God, then it is up to us to be reflections of that image. We do this through every act of kindness, no matter how small or large. By showing kindness, patience, forgiveness and love, the invisible become visible and the world begins to glimpse the face of God.