Thoughts for the week

How does God see?

God, you can not always see. But this is not because that he is so removed from us, but rather that we don’t really look. Lucie Panzer tells of a possibility of God to make visible.

Audio listen to
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Thought for the week: How does God see?

What happens when children have questions

? No, you can not, we will reply wise adult then. Perhaps say and we sing, then something vague like “Up there above the firmament must be a good father to live.” And many are asking themselves, whether because of above possibly is asleep and does not notice, what’s down here with us going on. And then it happens easily that one of them says: Such a God is too far away, the cares Yes but not to me and to our world – it does not matter whether it is there or not.

The second name of Jesus

Can you see God?

Yes, you can! The Bible says. Because God has shown up. “You are a child heut’ gebor’n…”. A child in the crib. A few weeks ago, we have Christians celebrated.

God has shown.In this child, called Jesus. This Name means: God saves. His parents should give him but a second name: Immanuel. This means: God is with us. This child should be able to see who God is and how he is With us. With You. With me. “Immanuel – God with us” or “Jesus – God helps” – this is the name I want to come to mind when I God think. Not the superlatives, The Only, the Almighty, The Lord God. Nothing of it. The abstract God’s name are superfluous. Christmas shows every year: God himself in a human being, Jesus means: God saves.

There are signs by which God’s near to see and hear and learn. Some remember the of alone. For example, if you as a Newborn on the Arm, then goes to a Yes, the heart, and one hopes and wants to believe it, that a good life can be. Children can change the world around you change. Maybe you can also say: With the children and by the children changes us God.

But sometimes a someone is the eyes of God close to open. Sometimes, you need a only someone’s attention.

How does that work? How can you draw attention to God, whom we see and hear and feel? How can you help others to trust in God in your own life?

Grandpa’s Angel

In a picture book I have seen perhaps it could go. Simple really, and obvious. The picture book by Jutta Bauer and is called: “grandpa’s angel”.

It is shown how a grandpa to his grandson from his life. He tells of his angel. Of the angel that always there was in his life. Earlier, he has not so understood. But now as a grandpa, because he knows: God’s angel was always there. God was always there. Immanuel.

The pictures in the book show how it was: When grandpa was a little Boy, there was a bad dog in the neighborhood. But grandpa was trembling, but brave enough to the dog past the angel had him by the Hand. The angel stood up with a smile, as he Granny kissed for the first Time. Perhaps he would have been without the angels are not married. Myself like Best the picture of the seaside. Grandpa is sitting on the beach, his son swims far out. And you can see on the picture, like the angel with a threatening facial expression and a stretched out Arm, a shark is present. A few meters further on the floats the Young, grandpa’s son. He remembers nothing of the danger. How many of the dangers that go as to a past – and it has – thank God – nothing noticed!

So the story of the grandpa from his life. On the last images in Jutta Bauer’s book, one sees how the grandson heimgeht. And an angel, grandpa’s not dissimilar to Bouncing next to him.

How can you take God to draw attention, with the one experience can make such as with the child in the manger? How can his children or grandchildren to help, to have faith in God? I think that’s how it can go: to Tell you how it went. Unashamedly and honestly. Tell you how God has supported them. Everything else God will do.

Lucie Tanks, Protestant Rundfunkparrerin