God’s Surprising Presence

DAILY BYTE

Years back, a mate and I did a 6 week backpacking trip through Europe. About 4 weeks into the trip we had a classic travellers’ tiff that actually turned quite nasty, and so we spent a 10 hour train trip to Berlin giving each other the hairy eyeball silent treatment.

Upon arriving we checked into a youth hostel, and then took a tube into East Berlin to see what it was like. We emerged from the subway and found ourselves right outside this magnificent old concert hall.

Just then a chap right in front of us held up two tickets for a performance that was about to start. My mate and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders as if to say, ‘What the heck?’ and bought the tickets, even though we had absolutely no idea what kind of concert it was. For all we knew it could have been alpine yodeling that we were about to hear.

It was only when we got inside and got hold of a programme that we discovered that we’d bought tickets for a performance of Handel’s Messiah in German. And we soon realized that this wasn’t a Mickey Mouse event either, but that some of the finest soloists in Europe were singing, including the critically acclaimed bass, Thomas Quasthoff.

The fact that the singing was all in a language we didn’t understand didn’t matter in the slightest. For one thing we were both familiar with most of the English words. But more importantly, something happened that night that was beyond language. Because as we listened to magnificent music about a magnificent Messiah, so the majesty and mystery and mercy of this Messiah touched us in a profound way. The fight we were having evaporated into thin air, and as we listened together, my friend and I were wondrously reconciled.

That evening remains one of the most cherished memories of my life, of the altogether surprising and totally unexpected activity of a loving and gracious God. It was an experience of serendipity – making an unexpected, surprising and joyous discovery of something that is really really good.

In one sense my example is quite dramatic. Overseas trip. East Berlin. Handel’s Messiah. These aren’t ordinary, everyday experiences. But don’t let that confuse the issue, because the truth is that experiences of serendipity happen all the time in the ordinary, everyday things of life. Or maybe, to be more accurate I should say that the potential for serendipitous experiences is all around us all the time.

That may seem like a strange claim to make in a world where there is so much bad news pressing in from every side, where the chaos and mayhem of fractured lives and shattered dreams is so easy to see. But I make this claim with conviction, because there is a good and gracious God at large within our midst, who continues doing the things that God does, like bringing life and hope and healing and wholeness to our world.

A woman by the name of Pearl Bailey put it like this: “People see God everyday, they just don’t recognize him.” I think that’s true. We’ve somehow developed blind spots in our vision when it comes to recognizing the presence and activity of God in our midst. Our ability to see what’s really going on has somehow been compromised. Our capacity for deeper insight has somehow been lost. Our faith imaginations have somehow been dulled. And we think that God is somehow absent.

But of course God is not absent. In our devotions this week we’ll be looking at some of the surprising and unexpected places and circumstances where God’s presence can be seen, a presence that brings great hope to our lives.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Gracious God, thank you for the constancy of your presence in our lives. Open our eyes that we might come to see you more and more, and so draw strength, comfort and immense joy from knowing that we are not alone. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING

Psalm 139:7-8

Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.