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There are two works of art that help me think about the presence of God. The first is the painting of God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Apparently one of the messages that Michelangelo wanted to convey is God's great desire to reach out to and be with the person he has created. If you look carefully at the painting, you notice that the figure of God is extended toward the man with great vigor. He twists his body to move it as close to the man as possible. His head is turned toward the man, and his gazed is fixed on him. God's arm is stretched out, his index finger is extended straight forward; every muscle is taut. It looks as if even in the midst of the splendor of all creation God's entire being is wrapped up in his desire to touch this man. His hand comes within a hair's breath of the hand of the man. God is as close as he can be. But having come that close, he allows just a little space, so that Adam can choose. He waits for Adam to make his move.
Adam, for his part, reclines in a lazy pose, leaning backward as if he has no interest at all in making a connection. He doesn't move forward, he doesn't hold out his hand, he doesn't lift a finger. He appears to be indifferent to or even unaware of the possibility of touching his Creator. All it would take is the slightest effort, the merest movement.
This picture says that the great desire of God is to be with the human beings he has made in his own image. This picture reminds us---God is closer than we think. He is never farther than a prayer away. All it takes is the barest effort, the lift of a finger.
But I also remember another, humbler work of art. It involves a series of books all centered around the question 'Where's Waldo?' Waldo will never make it to the Sistine Chapel. He looks nothing like the majestic deity of Michelangelo. He is a geeky-looking, glasses-wearing nerd with a striped shirt and goofy hat.
Waldo is supposed to be on every page. Whoever writes the book claims that it is so. But you couldn't prove it by me. He's often hidden to the untrained eye. You have to be willing to look for him. When you find him, there is a sense of joy and accomplishment. 'Surely Waldo was in the place, and I knew it not.' In fact, developing the capacity to track him down is part of the point of the book. If it was too easy---if every page consisted just of a giant picture of Waldo's face---no one would ever buy it. The difficulty of the task is what increases the power of discernment.
Part of what makes it hard to find Waldo is that he is so ordinary-looking. On some pages, he's surrounded by hundreds of look-alikes; Waldo-wannabees. He just seems to just blend in. You can be looking right at him without even knowing it. Where's Waldo? Why doesn't he show himself plainly? Why does he hide his face? He may not be absent, but he is elusive. He is Waldus absconditus---the Waldo who hides himself.
Let every day---every moment---of your life be another page. God is there, the Scriptures tell us---on every one of them. But the ease with which he may be found varies from one page to the next. So let's explore the truth found in both of these works of art: God is closer than you think.
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Showing 8 featured editions. View all 8 editions?
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1
God Is Closer Than You Think: If God Is Always With Us, Why Is He So Hard to Find? (Walker Large Print Books)
February 15, 2008, Walker Large Print
Paperback
in English
- Lrg edition
1594151342 9781594151347
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2
God Is Closer Than You Think: If God Is Always With Us, Why Is He So Hard to Find?
June 7, 2006, Thorndike Press
Hardcover
in English
- Lrg edition
0786286687 9780786286683
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3
God Is Closer Than You Think
2005, Zondervan
Electronic resource
in English
0310263360 9780310263364
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4
God Is Closer Than You Think
April 2005, Zondervan Publishing Company
Audio CD
in English
- Abridged edition
0310264502 9780310264507
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5
God is closer than you think: if God is always with us, why is He so hard to find? : participant's guide
2005, Zondervan, Willow Creek Resources
in English
0310266394 9780310266396
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6
God Is Closer Than You Think: If God Is Always with Us, Why Is He So Hard to Find?
April 2005, Zondervan Publishing Company
Paperback
in English
- New Ed edition
0310253187 9780310253181
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7
God Is Closer Than You Think: This Can Be the Greatest Moment of Your Life Because This Moment Is the Place Where You Can Meet God
April 1, 2005, Zondervan
Hardcover
in English
0310253497 9780310253495
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8
God Is Closer Than You Think: This Can Be the Greatest Moment of Your Life Because This Moment is the Place Where You Can Meet God
April 1, 2005, Zondervan
Audio CD
in English
- Unabridged edition
0310263794 9780310263791
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- Created December 12, 2008
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July 17, 2022 | Edited by ImportBot | import existing book |
December 11, 2020 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
August 19, 2010 | Edited by IdentifierBot | added LibraryThing ID |
April 24, 2010 | Edited by Open Library Bot | Fixed duplicate goodreads IDs. |
December 12, 2008 | Created by ImportBot | Imported from Library of Congress MARC record |