Who Can See the Face of God?

Lately I’ve been entertained by a Facebook group called “Things with Faces.” Participants post photos of ordinary objects or structures that have the appearance of faces — for example, misshapen vegetables, wood grain, buildings, coffee foam, garden tools, toast, or cooking implements. It’s amusing and also likely says something about our inclination to see our human likeness in the world around us. Once you become attuned to seeing faces in your environment, they start showing up everywhere!

We also can become attuned to seeing the face of Christ in the world around us — we just have to learn to recognize it in the joy of a toddler at play, the compassion of disaster relief workers, the tenderness of a mother giving her infant a bath, the generosity of trees that share nutrients with their neighbors,  the healing touch of physicians and nurses, the exuberance of guests dancing at a wedding, the life-giving rain that quenches our thirst, and the patience of friends who truly listen to one another.

Jesus said, “I will be with you always.” Doesn’t it make sense that he would choose to become immersed in the world so we will always be able to recognize his presence around us? If you look for the face of Christ with trust and confidence, you too will start seeing it everywhere. Who can see the face of God and live? Thanks to the coming of Emmanuel and the ministrations of that divine oculist, the Holy Spirit, all of us can see the face of God and not only live but thrive with the companionship of Christ who is always with us.

The Age-Old Call to Listen

Many young people (and older people too) seem to have lost a sense of purpose and belonging these days and consequently are awash in depression, anxiety, and loneliness. As a society, we no longer give much of our time and attention to fostering the formation of friendships and providing opportunities for rites of passage that allow us to explore our interests, test our strengths, and instill purpose through service to others. Today’s generation typically experiences the important developmental milestone of the mythic “hero’s journey” in a virtual fashion through video games.

I was heartened recently to learn that some video games are now being designed to help people learn the tools they need in the quest for a meaningful life. For example, the premise of the video game “Sky: Children of the Light,” is that all the stars were once united in a great light, but when darkness came, many stars
fell out of the sky. The goal of the players is to “help the star spirits return home … you will need compassion for humanity, timeless wonder, and light within your heart to guide your way.” Importantly, players receive encouragement and affirmation as they test their skills; they have a goal of serving others; and they can form relationships by teaming up with other players around the world.

The way that earlier generations embarked on a hero’s journey was very different. Many people were tested early on and without much preparation through marriage/child rearing at a young age, illness, family responsibilities, the experience of discrimination, and/or the challenges of living in times of war. Some of today’s young people will experience those things too, even as they are immersed in a culture of gun violence. It’s encouraging, then, to know that a mechanism they can relate to (playing a video game) is available to teach them about the courage, inner strength, friendship, and compassion they will need to face the challenges they will encounter.

Although technology can be put to good use in this context, we all need to be willing to respond to the crisis facing so many people today by being available to them and, as St. Benedict instructs, “Listen with the ear of your heart.” All the technology in the world won’t lessen the need for that age-old and critical component of loving our neighbor. Giving others our full attention signals our belief in their worth and affirms their dignity and purpose as fellow bearers of the Christ light.

Trusting In God's Plans

In about five weeks, my monastic community will be electing a new prioress. Soon someone other than our current prioress, Sr. Esther Fangman, will read the daily passage from the Rule of St. Benedict at morning prayer, lead Monastic Council meetings, welcome guests to Sunday Mass, and say prayers at funeral Masses and other liturgical rituals, among many other responsibilities. In addition, some new members will be elected to the Monastic Council, and some sisters will be asked to shift into different jobs and ministries. 

Artwork by Jay Smiley

Benedictines take a vow of stability, but that doesn’t mean that our lives will never change. On the contrary, we also pledge fidelity to the monastic way of life, which includes being open to an ongoing transformation of the heart or conversion of life. Change is inevitable when you serve the God who says “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

In her book To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border, Esther de Waal says, “Insecurity makes certitude attractive, and it is in times like these that I want to harness God to my preferred scheme of things, for it is risky to be so vulnerable. Yet it is this vulnerability that asks for trust and hope in God’s plans, not mine. So I try to learn each time that I am called upon to move forward to hand over the past freely, putting it behind me, and moving on with hands open and ready for the new.”

Sometimes guests ask us who we think the new prioress will be. Although many of us have some thoughts about who we hope might be elected, we all know that we need to be open to how the Spirit leads us in our discernment. Ultimately, we place our trust in God, who says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).