Visible And Invisible

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Colossians 1:15-23

Human beings straddle visible and invisible realities – the natural and the supernatural.

Think of whales. They can rest on the surface for awhile, then they blow the air and water out and can plunge a mile deep to feed on squid.

Despite having its own lively habitat of marine plants and sea creatures, the whale must surface for oxygen from time to time, or it will die. Though it knows little about the world above, it needs vital contact with it to survive.

We can sometimes feel like that whale. We can sometimes come up for spiritual air at regular intervals to stay alive. But there is no neat division between the natural and supernatural. The world we live in is not an either/or world. What we do as Christians is to pray, worship, and demonstrate God’s love to the sick, needy, and imprisoned. Those things are both supernatural and natural.

God’s throne is always accessible to His children.

Our Daily Bread – May17, 2014