The Word incarnate and the written Word are both a veil. They simultaneously reveal and hide. Some saw Jesus as God manifesting in flesh, their Messiah, and others saw Him as something to plot against and destroy. Many today seek to destroy the Bible from their country. Some, all too few, exalt what is written, as Ghana or Fiji that has declared themselves Christian, which is at least a start. The same is true of the written Word as the Word made flesh. Many see God in us and are attracted and blessed and others hate us without a cause.
Think of all the people you've encountered in the time you've been alive. Through how many of them has God been manifested to you? For me it is very few and usually not recognized by me until later . . . and even then I couldn't be aware enough to get myself to pursue Him in them, though I made resolutions to do so. Why, if so many actually know God as they claim, is their impartation of Him so next to nothing? No doubt, God is real; but, He hides Himself.
Most would go to God if He was something they could use to their own purposes. He is vulnerable in a way something like that so He hides Himself. You know in yourself How love makes you vulnerable. If you love people will take advantage of you. It is one of the things I've had to resign myself to. If I love I will be taken advantage of and hurt. I choose to love knowing that. It is necessary or you will take offense and be unable to love. As it has developed I discover I am hidden.
Like at a church out in the country here . . . I can't reveal all I know to them. As it is I probably go too far. It is more than likely I will be called a heretic and a deceiver somewhere up the road. Some of the good that I can do I will try for now; but, I suffer from the things they say and do. I'm not sure I can continue. I don't have enough love, or, as is more likely, not enough wisdom to overcome, perhaps . . . Love is the motive to keep at it and wisdom is how to maintain the opportunity of speaking the truth in love.
I'm there because I perceive God is doing something among them. But that doesn't mean it makes a place for me. Oh, how we long to be loved! I know family members can sometimes ruin your life; but, for many I've met, their family in Adam keeps them busy enough and satiated enough they seem not to care about the lack of love in their church. The single person, whether as a youth or one who's mate is gone can't even find a dry crust of welcoming fellowship. At best, they have enough with their little clique of old acquaintances and can't be bothered with anyone new. The unloved at least has the advantage of needing to seek out a spiritual fellowship. There are many churches where their titled leader wrongly cast out as evil those children of the light with good things to scatter among them. I wonder how many of the enabling silent audience repented over complicity in such tragedies. How many even care enough to recognize the anguish they've inflicted? "When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase." (Pv 28:28, AV)
