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Scripture: Colossians 1.15-17 (ESV)
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16For by [or, in] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. 17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Thoughts
George Johnson wrote in the New York Times that in October 1977 scientists at the University of California and the Space Telescope Institute released a “photograph” that the Hubble space telescope took of a star. Called the Pistol Star, it resides near the center of the Milky Way, burns as bright as 10 million suns, and is as large as the entire space within the Earth’s orbit. Neither the human eye nor telescopes can see the star, for an impenetrable cloud of cosmic dust shrouds it.
So, where did the photograph come from? The picture is a computer-produced image based on measurements of infrared rays invisible to the human eye but detectable with scientific technology. Computers convert the waves into colors and, thereby, one can see a picture of the biggest known star in the galaxy.
Imagine a star burning ten million times brighter than the sun, which we have to apply advanced instrumentation to in order to photograph due to a shroud of cosmic dust. Then, what is illogical about the assumption that there is a vast spiritual world imperceptible to human perception and technology, within the shroud of materiality? My dogs smell scents and hear sounds that I cannot perceive. Likewise, spiritual traditions universally and across time assure us of a vast spiritual domain in our midst, which some with gifted spiritual insight have perceived, and that is as real as what we generally perceive.
Suggestion for Reflection
Do you ever sense the “spiritual” world? What is that like for you?
Prayer
I am grateful that I have existence through and in your Presence and find in you all the love, joy, and peace I could ever need. Sometimes I feel fearful of the unknown. Help me to stay grounded in your Presence. Protect me from any malicious presences, human or otherwise, that might seek to draw me from confidence in you and faithfulness to the calling you have given me. Surround me, so that no one and nothing can harm me. I trust you to send to me whatever angelic presences I need to encourage me and provide guidance. Amen.
OneLife Ministries is a pastoral outreach and nurture ministry of the First United Methodist Church, Fort Meade, FL. For Spiritual Direction, Pastoral Counseling, spiritual formation workshops, Christian meditation retreats, or more information about OneLife, write Rev. Dr. Brian K. Wilcox at briankwilcox@comcast.net.
Brian's book of mystical love poetry, An Ache for Union, can be ordered through major bookdealers.
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
The People of the
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