well, last night was a total success!
a packed house sat and listened to our own jeremiah witt as he showcased his photography and spoke about the various places that he sees god's handprint.
for years he has been taking pictures of various items and for the past few months he has been taking pictures of things specifically for this event.
however, the power from the night came from the raw honesty and willingness to explore and find god in surprising places that truly impacted the immersion community.
we were shown god in a twisted tree, in rivers, in lakes, in mountains and even in the power of geysers, we saw god in the lone, golden leaf standing out in a snow-covered field. we saw caves as god's 'workshop' where the sense of humour of the Almighty can be exercised. we were shown a bible and told that god is in there. not just because of the words or the book itself but also because it began it's journey as a living tree...the living word come from the living world.
but, where some of us feel we learned something was that jera showed us that god can be seen in things made by people too. from the olympic tower in montreal to the front of our own building, we were shown that a building can show the spiritual journeys of architect to architecture to artisan and artist...each one guided by the creative hand of the creator.
we were shown that god can even be in those places that are out-and-out considered unholy. times square has rarely been seen as a hub of godliness but jera countered that by saying that millions of people have walked through this famous [and infamous] part of new york and if god is with them then god is there. god is no prude...god is a saviour and a saviour goes where the people who need saving are!
in relationships we see god's love and desire for us to enjoy community and to know that we are not alone in this world. friends pick us up and comfort and console us and, in doing that, enact the mandate that we are called to love one another and do unto them what we would have them do unto us.
where have we heard that before?
afterwards people thought that what was powerful was the idea that these pictures communicated: anything can be beautiful when looked at through the eyes of god. one does not have to be wearing a tuxedo or evening gown to be beautiful...the truly beautiful person is the one who possesses inner beauty and character regardless of what adorns their outer person.
the message of the gospel is that god is not a judge of the exterior....but the truest judge of the heart
we listened to christmas carols with rock n' roll beats and some funkier songs that sang of the christmas message of a god who loves us all so much that he went to unimaginable lengths to bring wayward humans back into the fold. it is good to see god in the little and surprising things in everyday life...but it is also good to see god in the extraordinary and miraculous. for our god, this god jehovah....yahweh...elohim...this god, yeshua....jesus is a god of true power and true grace and true compassion and true humility and when we start to see this god every day we can start to become more like this god everyday and in every way.
what a wonderful service to send us all into the christmas season
thanks jera
and merry christmas to all!!
