To See or not to see: Clouded Vision

Each year thousands of tourists go to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to see the Cristo Rendento (Christ the Redeemer) Monument that overlooks Rio. Yesterday morning I made the trek up to the top of Corcadova with hopes of seeing the monument, and the beautiful panoramic view that lays before the monument. As you can see from the above pictures, not only could we not see out through the cloud that came in to settle on the monument, but we could hardly make out the monument standing at its feet. The first picture was our view from the top of the mountain, the foreground is a portion of the guide to the panoramic view that we should have seen…and the background is what we saw…yep. The second picture was how we saw the monument, Comedic? absolutely, a great memory…you bet.

I guess in life what we seek is not what we find…but the view can be providential nonetheless. Faith tends for me to often be much about knowing and trusting the beauty of Christ’s plan, even though sometimes I only get a glimpse of his feet and the outline of his cloak.

My trip up Corcovado yesterday got me to start considering the lofty perches from which I often view my faith, life, and God. A lot of my major personal crossroads have been predicated by long lengths of time where my vision has been clouded by circumstance or fear, but everyday (both cloudy and otherwise) the fingerprints and influence of Christ’s divine plan are worked out regardless of the visibility. Our business as people is not subject to rain delays, or being rescheduled on account of some clouds or poor visibility, life is to be lived in the settings in which God creates. It’s much more romantic and poetic to have those moments of great revelation overlooking the vast span of creation, but that is the way I want it, and its not the way Jesus went about his business. Jesus spent his time in cities, on the street, teaching, loving, in ministry with real people, and while he could have spent his years a reclusive naturalist wandering the wilderness in the presence of his father, but that is simply not who Jesus is and its not reflective of the pursuant heart he has for his people.

When I boarded the plane to come down here to Brazil I had a lot of eager anticipation about the beauty I would get to see, and the sights that would be etched this the first (but probably not the last) time I am visiting this “Cidade Maravilhosa” (Marvelous City)…however, God has shown me something more marvelous than the view from high on a hill overlooking a city, he’s shown me his marvelous people…his greatest feet of creation. It took me coming down from the out of the clouds to see it, but the beauty is pulsing through the veins of this town on city streets, in bars, on sidewalks, on beach front sandwich stands, in futbol stadiums, in homes…and this is marvelous.

Our work, our mission is not to live lives that are spent with monumental views, but rather, we are called to live monumental lives. The way our lives play out is supposed to be a monument to the God who loves us, the one who breathed life in us, who created all we see, and who would stop at nothing to provide a way to be rectified justly to him. It’s not about appreciating the way we look or the things that make us different, but it’s seeing creation (us as people) the way God sees us, and that is as marvelous. It is not about worshiping the creation, but is about seeing beyond the clouds of personal struggles and imperfections that taint the way which we interact and go about our business each day, rather its about looking beyond the small things that are divisive and annoying, and looking to the special ways that God has made us; each of us loved in an especially unique way to match the especially unique way we were made…again, it truly is marvelous.

While it is disappointing to go to a place that has some of the best beaches and spectacular views in the world only to have days that have been primarily overcast, I’m deeply refreshed and reminded that there is work to do. There are a lot of lost people who need loving, and there is much creation that surrounds us to be marveled (people). You will find no man more thankful than I to have only seen the feet of Christ, for those feet are the feet that lead me. I trust that God uses clouds in our lives figuratively to focus on what is important, and to keep us looking at the right things and while we might not get the view we want, or see the sights we expect, we might just see a glimpse of something greater, a God who loves and marvels over us.

While there will surely be sunny days ahead, I’m using the clouds in my life, for there are many, not as a distraction but as a means to focusing on the task at hand. While I’m sure off in the distance there are great adventures, mountains to climb, battles to be won, beauty to be cherished; at my feet and in my hands there is plenty to do today and with that I am content. I of course hopefully anticipate all that is down the road, but I’m not there yet and honestly its really hard to see that far (and I certainly have tried), and even though I am hopeful I am busy marveling at what God has created at my fingertips today, and only today.

In awe (but still hoping for sun)
CP