Face-to-Face

The church I serve is increasingly coming into the technological age. Aside from the typical things you expect like webpages and email addresses, we have wireless internet, and network drives that anyone in the building can access. I can even wirelessly print to any printer in the building. We have a new high tech phone system where you can conference call with other people in the building. I no longer have to waste five minutes walking to the other side of the building to ask someone a question, I can just pick up the phone and call them.

Yet, with all our new technology, most of the time, I still walk over to the persons office to ask them my question. I know it would be faster to call but I don't. I think it's because with all the technology in my life, from cell phones, email, PDAs, to webcams, websites, and blogs, after awhile, I just crave face to face contact with other people. There's just something about seeing the person you're talking to. After all, we were created in the image of God who is relational in nature. Why would we be anything but relational? Now granted some of us, are a bit more relational, than others. But each of us has in innate desire to connect with other people and sometimes that desire can only be fulfilled with face to face contact.

This desire for face to face contact is nothing new. In scripture, psalmists and prophets alike cry out to see the face of God. Or ask God not to turn God's face away from them. And you know what? God answered them. God answered with the incarnation of Jesus, God in human form. Humanity was able to have face-to-face conversations with God, to look upon the face of God.

At times I have wished we had a photograph of Jesus, so we could have seen what his face really looked like, rather than all those blue eyed and blond haired portraits we so often see. Without a photograph we are left to wonder and to imagine. But Jesus himself paints a picture for us when he says, what you have done to the least of these, you have done to me. Jesus tells us that if we want to see the face of God, all we have to do is look around us. Every day we are surrounded by the face of God, embodied in ordinary imperfect people just like us.

Last night I saw the face of God in a group of people who gathered for a support group. I watched and listened as they shared their stories, supported one another, comforted one another, and encouraged one another. What an incredible sight to witness! People who are hurting and struggling helping each other. Only by the grace of God is something like that possible.

Where have you seen the face of God recently? For whom have you been the face of God?