To See God in the Unknown
Posted: October 4, 2006

Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.
-Song of Songs 4:16

Mystery is the true face of God. And to face the mysteries of our own dimensional lives, and to still have peace like a weaned child when faced with these unknowns, is to know the face of God. Even though this mystery is a divine mystery, the unknowns come to me in everyday situations: How am I going to pay the bills? What do I do with all my frustrations? How can I stay in love? etc. These unknowns are windows through which I can see the image of God's face gazing on my life.

When I am in the midst of a great trial, my narrow perspective tells me that I am the only one who ever goes through these things, and it's not fair. Why don't those around me ever seem to suffer? I feel the icy winds of resentment trying to chill my roots to death. I can see and feel the leaves on my branches falling off, and at the same time, I don’t know why my brother, the pine tree, gets to keep his needles. But I can still be at peace, and trust that I will grow again by the seasonal purposes of God. I can see his face, though it be unknown and unseen. In this place of unknowing, it is nevertheless, the image of his face. The tree of my soul may not be in season for fruit at this moment, and the branches are starkly bare, but I can embrace the winter by the natural stretching out of the unseen roots under the earth. This invisible and unnoticeable action is my hope and faith that God will bring me into the natural season of growth again. "Let my leaves fall, Oh Lord, God! Let my soul say to the seasons: 'Come,  O winter!'”

-Jacob

Mulberry Tree (Vincent Van Gogh)