In my previous post I suggested that the ability to
relate is, for me, one of the wonders of the universe. It might also be one of
the fundamental factors that holds it together. We are all caught up in it, in
the maths of it, the music of it.
When I read that we are made in the ‘image of God’, I
wonder what that means. In what way could we be like the Creator? Could it be
in this manifest ability to relate? The metaphors in the scriptures continue as
we are presented with a God who has no eyes but can see, no ears but can hear,
no mouth but can speak, no hands but can act. Do we carry the physical
attributes of an unseen relational world? In this sense we could all be fitted
with the same chip.
So can God get
personal?
I have entitled this series ‘Facetime’ . The train of
thought was inspired by observing our own human desire to have face to face
contact with others and out of a curiosity as to why and how we are encouraged
in the scripture to seek the face of God. Such is our need for contatct and
communication that a huge amount of modern technology is based on it, including
the application, Facetime, for Apple. In order to use this application, the
person you are sharing with needs to have the same operating system on their
devise. I guess I am wondering if that’s partly what it means to be ‘made in
the image of God’. Somewhere built into us, is an ability to connect to Our
Divine Originator. For although we are different, we are not inaccesible to
eachother.
To seek the face of God is to seek his Presence,
though it is more than that. We are to understand that his Presence is
everywhere. To seek his face is to make that connection. A moment of eye
contact with the divine. An internal knowing. A flash of inspiration. To meet
with his Essence.
I spent a long time this holiday in the presence of
family and loved ones: from the youngest member of my family who has smiles and
tears and noises instead of words, to the eldest who is perhaps tiring of them,
to others for whom conversation is abundant. To be in their presence is
blessing enough, but for our eyes to meet across the room, in acknowledgement,
a laugh, a smile or a tear, that is surely is what makes us feel truly alive. 
