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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Seeing God by Nikki Watkin


On Ascension day a couple of weeks ago, our 4 year old son Reuben was creating art – a fairly common event in our household. He proudly showed it to me and I asked him about it.

There were a whole lot of houses in a cross shape in the centre –“that is the city” he said. (I still need to ponder that image.) Above the city was a big yellow smiley face –“that is God,” he told me. On both sides of the city were some people –“Who are they?” I asked. “Those people are frightened” he told me. So of course I asked why they were frightened, and he explained “because they can’t see God”. For him, that was reason enough to be scared. And it got me thinking.

Thinking about the angels who challenged the disciples who had been left standing there on the Mount of Olives after Jesus had ascended to the right hand of God. Check out the first chapter in Acts. The angels ask “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?”

Maybe the disciples were still standing there so they would not be frightened. They could no longer see Jesus. Which begs the question, when do we see Jesus? When do we see God? And another thought: When do children see Jesus? Do they see Jesus in our welcome? In our loving? In our blessing?

What a gift we give to those around us – whatever their age - when they encounter Jesus in us. If Reuben has got it right and in seeing God, fear is taken away, then it’s definitely worth thinking about.


Rev Nikki Watkin is part of our Kids Friendly team in Auckland. She is also a minister with her husband Richard at Kohimarama Presbyterian.

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