How do I see God today?

In my reading today, I came across this quote from Rowan Williams:

The face of Spirit is—as Vladimir Lossky memorably expressed it—the assembly of [redeemed human] faces in their infinite diversity. Human persons grown to the fullness of their particular identities, but sharing in the common divine gift of reconciled life and faith, these are the Spirit’s manifestation.

So often, people are looking up to see and hear God. They get frustrated when they wonder where this Holy Spirit is that we speak of.

Get into a church and you will find the face of the Spirit in the faces around you. Hungry for community, eager to love, bringing people together so their strengths and joys can help each other and their weaknesses and imperfections can grow each other.

This is why that in-person, church community is so valuable to me — especially church community that calls out participation. It is when I am in a church that interacts, that God can point me to the one on my right and left, and say,

"This is me speaking words of love to you for who you are, and here is me speaking a challenge to you for where you could learn patience, and here..."

Not all of us can get into a church, and that is ok, God understands. But if you are really looking to hear the Spirit of God, you just might find him talking at the church down the road - not from above, but from beside you.

Sure, the church is messy and imperfect, but if it wasn't, would I fit in? Would you?

It is in that mess that we can identify and empathize.

It is in that mess that we will learn to grow in love and patience.

It is in that mess that we just might discover that we can see the face of the Spirit.