Seeing Christmas Clearly

I can still remember the first time I looked under a microscope. The excitement that moment generated helped to solidify my lifelong interest in the sciences. In elementary school, my teacher had scraped the surface of a table onto a slide and placed the slide under the microscope. What I saw was astonishing. Bugs, creatures and debris invisible to my eye were exposed by the power of this amazing machine to magnify objects. What had been invisible to me became visible through the assistance of that microscope.

For much the same reason, a friend pursued a career in astronomy after gazing into a telescope. The realization that much of what exists in outer space escapes the limitations of the human eye sparked his interest in the cosmos.

Much of life eludes us because we just don't see it. Are we left to blindly believe in God whom we do not see? He is much too gracious to leave us without "instruments" by which to see and experience Him. He has provided His own forms of microscopes or telescopes. His "instruments" come in different forms, involving much "higher technology".

• Creation: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20 NIV)
• His word: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God......The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us." (John 1:1, 14a NIV)
• His Son Jesus: "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful work." (Hebrews 1:3 NIV)
• His Spirit: "but God has revealed it [His plans] to us by His Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:10 NIV)

During this Christmas season, we can celebrate with joy the majesty of the Eternal God because He "became flesh and made his dwelling among us." Much like a microscope reveals unseen organisms, Jesus reveals God to us. O come let us adore Him, God's righteousness revealed.

Sharing the journey with you,