How Does God Reveal Himself? (Part 4/4)

Bulletin Column – August 25, 2019

            A couple months ago, a close friend told me that he had asked his pastor to begin the process for conversion to Catholicism. He had grown up without any religion, never baptized. His first encounter with Catholicism was through his wife, whom he accompanied to Church every Sunday, along with their two boys.

            I asked him – why now? He had been attending church with his family for the past twenty years, and they had been constantly praying for – and at times urging – his conversion! Why did it take twenty years, and why is he only now turning to the Lord? He told me that as he looked at the disorder that was spreading in the world, how the culture seems to be in chaos and how our country seems to have lost its moral bearing, he realized that God was the only One who could bring order back into the world. He realized that a world that tried to govern itself without Divine Laws was surely to fracture into factions and division. Thus, he realized that God must be a priority in his own life if He were going to start making inroads into society at large.

            He is someone who is drawn to God as unity.

            Over the last three weeks we have been looking at the ways in which God continues to reach out to the human person, according to Fr. Benedict Groeschel’s book “Spiritual Passages”. Having considered the first three transcendentals of truth, beauty, and goodness, we now turn to the fourth and final way in which God brings us closer to Him: unity. In other words, God is the unifying factor in a life (and a world) otherwise broken by chaos. He brings order into our lives and our world, and some people are drawn to God as the Divine Architect.

            On a few occasions, I have had the privilege of attending Alcoholics Anonymous & Narcotics Anonymous meetings (as an observer only, just to be clear!). One thing that has always impressed me about these 12-step programs is the second step: “We believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.” These heroic men and women in recovery are seeking God as the unifying factor in a life that is shattered by addiction and brokenness.

            Every human being has one of the four ways that resonates most deeply within them (truth, beauty, goodness, and unity). But at the same time, every human being can appreciate all of the ways simultaneously. So, even if someone is drawn to God primarily through beauty, they can also recognize that He is true, see His goodness reflected in creation, and that He provides the standard of unity for the world and for our life. Just as God is Himself a unity, so when He brings His truth to our minds, He is equally bringing His beauty, goodness, and unity.

            As we have reached the end of this four-week series about the ways God reaches out to our soul, I would ask you to consider: how has God reached out to you in the past? Where have you seen Him? Which of the four ways resonates with you? God is constantly seeking YOU more than you are seeking Him. Perhaps clearly, perhaps obscurely, but His Self-revelation continues on a daily basis to all of His sons and daughters.