A Vision of God's Glory ...

Wednesday, August 3, 2016. How is God? What is God like? What is our idea of God's appearance, of how he is and who he is? Often, people have thought about God in very abstract terms. We hear that he is spirit. We hear that he is the creator of the universe, and we know how immense and unbelievable large the universe is. Wow does he look like? It seems to be a very human question.

God's Appearance …

God is not only the creator of the universe, but also the creator of plants, of animals, of humans. He is the creator of human language, of human intelligence, of human dignity and of human love. He is a God who is community, and who wants us to have community. How is God?

In the book of Ezekiel we are given insight into a great vision and experience of the prophet about who and how God is. It is a long text, let us just look at the first sentences … and then read on yourself. We hear strange things, but wonderful and amazing at the same time:

4 As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.2 5 And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, 6 but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. (from Ezekiel 1)

God and Humans …

In the first book of the bible, the book of “Genesis”, we hear that humans are created in the image of God. Here, in the book of Ezekiel, we hear that the visions of the creatures, the divine and angelic beings, show human likeness, that they had faces of humans and core animals. There is a deep and meaningful connection between the spiritual world and the creation!

The New Testament talks about Jesus, who is the son of God. He claims that whoever sees him, sees the father. He claims to be the word, which was God at the beginning, and became flesh. In him, the connection between God and mankind is reconciled. It is made new and it is given an integration which is difficult to describe in easy terms. The dignity of mankind as the reflection and image of God is made complete in Christ Jesus and the cross of Golgatha!

As humans, we are meant to be holy. We are meant to be pure. We are meant to be full of love. We are given a deep beauty and dignity. We are meant to help one another, to work for one another, to support one another. God wants us to reflect his glory, his creativity and his mercy. And humans carry this glory in their existence, even if they loose the connection to their origin and source. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts