Do you see?
by Faye Schmidt
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Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8).
Read 1 Peter 1:1–12
For some time, I have been struggling with my sight, reaching a milestone late last year when my right eye decided that all it would contribute to what I see would be shadows. I solely rely on my left eye to function in a world that requires sight. And then, in February, the specialist advised that my only good eye was now under attack.
Yes, this limits not just what I see but how I need to approach things I need to see – new tools and processes to assist with my safety, not just my sight.
The Bible has so many references to seeing. And our reading today is another of those texts focusing on our ability to see. Peter acknowledges that we no longer see Jesus as a physical being among us, but just because he is not present, it doesn’t diminish our love for him. Many of us will have experienced family members being apart from us, not just interstate but possibly overseas, but such distance or being out of sight does not diminish our love for them.
It could be argued that we still have access to their physical presence because we can still hear them. Can we still hear Jesus? Of course we can. Through his word, his voice is still clear to us. We are not dependent on just one of our senses – sight – we also have our hearing.
‘But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’ (John 20:31).
It is, therefore, through our continued hearing of God’s word that we can join with Peter and fellow believers and be ‘filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy’ in God’s promises through the life, death and resurrection of the one we can no longer see: Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, I pray that through your word, I may see your Son, Jesus Christ, worship and praise him and give thanks for your great mercy to me. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations within Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
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