Finished a 12-week introductory lesson on Christianity. Everyone in class was told to write a one-page reflection and share it at “last supper”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it but here’s my reflection.

Introduction

In the last session – we’ve learned that the end goal is to be a friend of God.
In the first session – we’ve learned that the most important thing is to know God correctly.

Somewhere in the middle – I’ve got upset, frustrated, and perhaps a little sad-of-eye. I don’t know God.

I can’t see him like I see other people
I can’t hear Him like how I hear other people

So I’ve asked Pastor Paul, “How can I know God? How can I know that I know God? And is it even possible to know Him here on Earth.” He responded with a quote, “God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it you cannot look at anything else”

There are many things in life that can be taken for granted – and sometimes when you’re silent, you could see how it all points back to God.

#1 Powerful Voice

In the first page of the Bible - God spoke and laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth.

Everything started with a voice. All the things we experience (every good thing, whether it’s a walk along the countryside or being in a loving relationship) it all came from the voice of God.

Job chapter 37 states - that His voice THUNDERS in marvelous ways, and he does this so that we may STOP and be in awe of all His wonders.

Back page 1 of the Bible, when God said, “Let there be stars”. In just 4 words:

He galactified the galaxies
constellated the constellations
and scattered over a hundred million stars across the night sky
and He knows them by name

Impossible for us. But for God it is far too easy (as easy as it is for us to say a handful of words).

Our words though – do have some power:

we were created in God’s image (according to page 1)
the pen is mightier than the sword
and the one who can speak – wields a power greater than that of a king

To sum it up: In the same way God spoke and built the foundations, let us also speak – and build – each other up.

#2 Relationships

It takes two - to know each other and to form one relationship.

The most important thing is to know God. And perhaps we can ONLY know God because God of the Trinity are able to know each other.

God said, “Let us make man in our own image”. It is here - and only here - that when God created us His plurality was brought out.

God is not just a powerful God who created us in community – but God is a powerful God who is already in a community. The Trinity, or as the Greek word, perichoresis, would say – going around in a circle of a dance.

I picture 3 friends in a playground:

laughing
holding each other’s hands
and dancing around in a circle
just smiling and enjoying each other’s presence

Perhaps this is what the Trinity is like:

being able to enjoy each other’s presence
to delight in and be delighted
to praise and be praised
to love and be loved
& most importantly: to know and be known

To sum it up: when God said, “Let us make man in our own image” it’s like He’s saying “Let us make humanity be able to experience what we are able to give each other”

So we too can participate in this circle of a dance – and be called a friend of God.

#3 Romantic Relationship

In a marriage – your love for your partner reflects how one should love the Lord your God.

Consider the time when you first started dating. As you begin to love this person – you start to be attentive:

attuned to her likes and dislikes
& to her joys and sorrows

You do this, so you can form an outline of her character. And under this outline – you conform your behavior.

if she likes ice-cream – you get her ice-cream
if she likes long walks on the beach – you take her out, for a long walk along the beach

To sum it up: “You learn her likes and dislikes so that you can submit to the law of her character”:

the law of her likes and dislikes
and the law of her joys and sorrows

All this so you could see the delight in her face.

The funny thing is that – most don’t realize that they are submitting to some kind of law. They are just doing it because they want to and delight in it.

Perhaps this is what it means to love God.

Perhaps this is why the greatest commandment is “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.”

#4 Food & Scripture

Jesus said, “I am real food and real drink”. When I first read this I had a sandwich in my hand lol and I thought to myself, “Is this sandwich fake?”.

Many would say the Word is like food – but no, it’s the other way around – food is like the Word.

PART #1

Consider what happens when you eat

you take a bite
you chew it
your stomach breaks it down even further
you absorb its nutrients
and your bloodstream distributes it throughout your entire body
you in a sense become what you eat
and it doesn’t just end there – it gives you energy, so you could live out your life.

Consider what happens when you read the Word:

you take a passage
you break it down into its paragraphs
and down into its sentences, and to its individual words
you get its meaning
and you put it all back together as a whole
and it’s only then – you’ll understand, you’ll see
and it doesn’t just end there – it gives you the Law of His character, so you could live out your life in right relationship with others and with God
you act on what you consume & you become what you consume
in other words: to be is to do & to do is to be
doobedobedooo ~ Scooby Doo lol

PART #2

Eating though – is not so much of an individual activity.

My uncle once told me to never eat alone. I’m guilty of that – but it got me thinking. Having a meal with someone is probably the greatest social activity that God has ever designed. It is cross-generational. Having a meal – is where you get to KNOW someone, to enjoy their presence, to break bread, and to share life. Sharing a meal with someone whom you love – is life giving – on both fronts.

Bible study is like potluck:

In potluck, we all bring our own food, share it and enjoy it together
Bible study is just like that – we all have our own lives and perspectives, we share our own thoughts and feelings, our own REFLECTIONS, and we enjoy it together

PART #3

“Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed are those who take refuge in His word” ~ Psalms 34:8

#5 Praise

The fifth thing is about the nature of praise.

Praise is the overflow of joy. And I’m not talking about praising God, I’m talking about the good things we praise here on Earth.

Whether it’s a blue jellyfish or your own dog – We praise what we enjoy.
Whether it’s CoCo Ichibanya, or chicken katsu – We praise what we delight in.

For those who were attentive you may recognize that this is exactly what we praised about in our group chat 🙂

This is what worship is on Sundays.

We praise NOT because we feel obligated to
We praise NOT because we were commanded to

But we praise because we enjoy & delight in – the Lord our God.

Conclusion

It may be true that I cannot hear the voice of God – but sometimes when you’re silent – you can hear His loving voice by experiencing the good things that He has created. For it is by His voice that everything came into being. His voice is resounding and reverberates throughout all creation. The heavens declare His glory, the skies proclaim His workmanship. And everything that has breath praises Him. So let us breath and speak the nature of his Word.

May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight – our Lord, our Rock and Redeemer – amen.

Epilogue 2

For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:12