Invisible things

The Nicene Creed is a prayer that succinctly lays out the beliefs of every Catholic Christian.  It’s similar to the Apostles’ Creed, but more ‘nuanced’.  It begins, “I believe in one God; the Father, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth; of all things visible and invisible…..”  My reflection today is on those “visible and invisible things.”

There are invisible things; things that are beyond what we and the world can point to.  The wind that moves the leaves, the breaking heart that evokes the tears, and hope that spurs us on.  Also invisible is the big picture; our life that’s being shaped by today and by the God who desires our happiness and our communion with Him. 

We aren't often allowed to see the big picture.  We usually experience the visible things.  But, in God, all things are held together, visible and invisible.  In Him, we’re able to hope because of the One who sees the invisible things and is able to hold them together and work them together for our good. 

In Paul’s Letter to the Romans, he writes: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:26-30).  He seems to be saying by loving God we’re promised only good things in this life.  If one gives oneself to God the Spirit will take over leading us step by step, from one good to another good, and eventually to eternal glory.  That would be the case if Paul’s letter hadn’t added a final condition. “We know that all things work for good for those who love God who are called according to his purpose.”

God doesn’t do things according to whim but with purpose. And He has a definite purpose for each of us.  By fulfilling His purpose we’ll experience “all things working for good.”  In this process of loving God He doesn’t promise it will necessarily be for my personal good.  It may well be for the greater good of all who love God, which would ultimately include me.

Loving God “according to his purpose” could occasionally include suffering.  Suppose a man’s wife is diagnosed with cancer.  That’s not good for his wife or him.  Yet they’ve always willingly loved God according to His purpose.  However, what if this tragedy might have such devastating effects upon their grown children that they’re motivated to reject their evil lifestyles and return to the Lord?  The ultimate salvation of their children might be the “good purpose”; why the Lord allowed the mother’s illness.

For many of us our God is too small.  It’s too easy to forget His purpose for becoming man.  It wasn’t that we might be spared suffering but that we might share in eternal happiness.  And so reluctantly God is willing to allow many things, even sinfulness and tragedy to be part of life, so that His purpose for coming will be fulfilled.  “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

My ultimate takeaway from Romans 8 is that when life is difficult, as it often is, we have a promise of hope.  And when we pray in our weakness, the Spirit will intervene.  But, the Spirit, of course, is another invisible thing.  So, we thank God for the visible things, but we thank God more for hope which allows us to embrace the invisible things and allows us to live.