God's many facets

Think of a diamond. What makes it beautiful? What makes it sparkle? A diamond is faceted -- cut to create many surfaces.

The lectionary reading that I read this morning was Revelation 1:8 --

I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

The Disciples devotion that I read this morning, written by Barbara Bate, says that there are 7 different words for God in this one sentence.

She lists them as:

1. I am -- Rememeber that one from the burning bush?
2. alpha
3. omega
4. Lord -- which she says is "often used in the Old Testament to denote the personal deity, ruler of the Hebrews, with sometime capricious qualitites "
5. God -- a more transcendent diety
6. who is and who was and who is to come -- God of past, present and future
7. The Almighty -- an Old Testament word for God

John is presenting a God who is multifaceted -- he is presenting God to his readers in a way that will "strike a chord" for many of them, even though it might be a different "name" of God for different hearers.

Do we do that? Do we present the various facets of God to people, or do we limit him to what it is about him that speaks to us? For example, if God to you is a Father, do you insist that other people relate to him as a Father, and as nothing else -- not as a brother or a friend or even a mother?

God is much bigger than any of us can imagine, but God will speak to each of us differently. How do we go about presenting the many names of God?

• Ironically, an uncut diamond -- the rough crystal -- is called a habit. Traditionally, the diamond habit was studied for its natural formation, and then cleaved with a hammer. Perhaps the best way to begins to present God to others is to break our habits. We need to stop and remember that the God we know is smaller than the God who is.
• Diamonds are the hardest substance that is known. Maybe. Sometimes I wonder if we are the hardest substance known. Perhaps if we take the time to soften our hearts -- to become more accepting of another's viewpoint, we can move forward to present God to others. Our softness -- our love for others -- is vital.
• The only thing which can cut a diamond is another diamond. It takes one human to present God to another -- We have a role to play in God's mission.
• When diamonds are cut with a saw blade, it can take several days of cutting to get the job done. Sharing God with someone else is not instantaneous. It takes time, and most of all, patience.
• The large facets on the top of a diamond are called a crown. Perhaps that will remind us that the largest part of the job is done by the King himself. Don't leave God out of the equation.
• When a diamond is cut correctly, from the bottom, it creates a heart pattern. When we share God with each other, and do it well, when the other person looks at God, he will see love.
• Do you know what faceting accomplishes? It creaes a stone of great brillance -- brillance is the return of the light which enters the stone. It takes acknowledgement of the many facets of God for us and those around us to see the light.

God is God, and he is bigger and has more facets than anyone can image.

Images: Diamond; A rough crystal, called a habit; a diamond from the bottom, showing its hearts.