Thursday, September 26, 2013

Seeing Christ - where goodness is conspicuous only for need of it.

It is a great gift to be able to see Christ in another human being. In some, he is clearly visible to us. In other, his image is faint - the scars they bear otherwise obscure him from our sight. But the gospel teaches us clearly, he is there.
Christ himself said though, that is it precisely in these latter folk that we should most diligently search for his presence. Jesus is Lord not only of the good and the beautiful, but also of those whom we might not expect to communicate his presence. The One who allowed himself to be betrayed and abandoned by people who called themselves his friends is not surprised by our sins and unloveliness. In the end, it is clear that he proved stronger that the worst they could do. Sin and betrayal are not match for Christ.
So just how am I supposed to see Christ in those less than lovely in my sight? I think this is made possible by becoming familiar with him in the expected places: church, prayer, chatting with other disciples. By remaining fervent in intercessory prayer, that prayer helps me to remember those in any need or trouble and helps me to make common cause with them. I learned a while back that it is near impossible genuinely to pray for someone and retain a feeling of distance from them for very long. The more familiar we become with the image of Christ, we will recognize him even in places where goodness is conspicuous only for the need of it.

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