Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
Finish this statement with one word. God is . . . what? What comes to mind for you? God is good? God is holy? God is father?
John tells us,
Whoever does not love
does not know God,
because God is love (1 John 4:8).
God is love, one of three remarkable “God is . . .” statements by John.
The other two?
“God is spirit” and “God is light”.
The first statement “God is spirit” was delivered to the woman at the well, who had had five husbands, and was now in a sixth relationship. Jesus said to her, God is spirit. It is not where you worship that matters, but how. Worship in spirit and truth (Jn 4:24).
I would have advised to Jesus to speak simply to the woman, tell her something she can understand, perhaps something appropriate to spiritual immaturity. Instead, Jesus gave her an advanced lesson in worship–worship God in spirit and truth.
Did she have any inkling of what he meant? Do you know how to worship in spirit and truth? The woman’s takeaway from her encounter with Jesus wasn’t, “At last. Now I have a credible theory of worship!” Her takeaway was, “Jesus is amazing. He knows all about me.”
John also says “God is light” (1 Jn 1:5). Light is a metaphor for God. Maybe it points to holiness and purity, or maybe to transparency and vulnerability. Have you ever thought of God as transparent? He lets us see right through him?
A more scary thought: I am transparent to God. His light shining through me exposes what I hide and what I highlight about myself, my truths and my falsehoods.
John’s third statement is, “God is love”. John says we should love others because God loved us first (1 Jn 4:16, 19. 21).
These are remarkable standards for following God.
God is spirit. Worship in spirit.
God is light. Walk in the light.
God is love. Love one another.
Let’s pray.
Our father, as smoke from summer wildfires darkens my city, I worship you as God of light. Clear the smoke from my eyes. Help me walk in the light as you are in the light.
We welcome your light as the spring sun that warms the soil and grows our gardens. We respect your light as a lighthouse that warns of disaster. We fear your light when it interrogates our sins. We endure your light when it comes as radiation to burn away our cancer.
O father, speak to us in love as well as light. May we be glad when you say, “Well done”. May we believe when you forgive our sins. May we receive from you the healing of memories and the transforming of relationships.
O father, teach us to worship. Our culture worships the body. Free us from the cult of body-building and makeovers and sports and sex.
Remind us that we are embodied spirits, and that you are pure spirit. Teach us to worship you in spirit and in truth.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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