1 John 4:12
Seeing the Father
God is invisible. He can’t be seen with eyes but with the heart. If we want to see the sun, we should purge the physical eye. In the same way, if we want to see God, we must purify the eye that we see God with. Where is this eye? Listen to the Gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
We shouldn’t imagine God according to what we want to see. For then we would make God out to be some huge form or and immense expanse. His figure would extend in all directions like the light we see with our eyes. So either we would make God out to be as big as we could imagine or else picture Him as a benevolent old man.
Don’t imagine any of these things. But imagine this if you want to see God: “God is love.” What sort of face does love have? What shape does it take? What stature? What feet or hands? No one can say. And yet it has feet that carry people to church. It has hands that reach out to the poor. It has eyes that show us those in need. For it is said, “Blessed is the man who considereth the needy and the poor.”
Love also has ears which the Lord spoke about, saying, “He that hath ears to hear let him hear.” These aren’t separate parts of love, but bring complete understanding and sight to those who have it. Live in love, and love will live in you. Dwell, and you will be dwelt in.
Readings taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers
Seeing the Father
God is invisible. He can’t be seen with eyes but with the heart. If we want to see the sun, we should purge the physical eye. In the same way, if we want to see God, we must purify the eye that we see God with. Where is this eye? Listen to the Gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
We shouldn’t imagine God according to what we want to see. For then we would make God out to be some huge form or and immense expanse. His figure would extend in all directions like the light we see with our eyes. So either we would make God out to be as big as we could imagine or else picture Him as a benevolent old man.
Don’t imagine any of these things. But imagine this if you want to see God: “God is love.” What sort of face does love have? What shape does it take? What stature? What feet or hands? No one can say. And yet it has feet that carry people to church. It has hands that reach out to the poor. It has eyes that show us those in need. For it is said, “Blessed is the man who considereth the needy and the poor.”
Love also has ears which the Lord spoke about, saying, “He that hath ears to hear let him hear.” These aren’t separate parts of love, but bring complete understanding and sight to those who have it. Live in love, and love will live in you. Dwell, and you will be dwelt in.
Readings taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers
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