I love numbers; I just hate math.When math became algebra in the 9^th grade, I failed it. Had to go through the humiliation of summer school. Geometry wasn’t much better, but at least I could grasp angles, degrees, tangents, and cosines. Marching band and the military helped with the practical applications of 45 and 90-degrees.

Of course, our awesome God sees all of creation with 360-degree vision. Omniscient, omnipresent. All of our lives, the very number of hairs on each of our heads (made easier in those with male pattern baldness!). This is more to the point: it is also with a human perspective. God, through His Son Jesus, gets not only the 360 vision, but the full immersion in the utmost pain; the deepest suffering; the most profound grief and sadness; the anger; and also the joy. The 360 vision takes in all the wonder and beauty, so elegantly articulated in the psalms of praise and worship. Every lily, every bird, is considered, clothed, and fed.

Our response is to abide in it all with an active, vibrant faith. Boldly trusting in the Unseen seeing everything. Why be anxious and self-absorbed? Jesus might ask. The “360 life” rejoices in all of it freely, joyfully, peaceably, and lovingly. Maybe that’s why God is able to overcome a Holocaust, a Civil War, genocide, and starvation. Martin Luther was able to overcome a solid decade of doubt, confusion, hopelessness, and terror. Once vision, trust, and faith came to him and he saw it all as unmerited, unearned, he came alive. With God’s 360 vision, we see differently. The mirror might still seem murky at times, but that is human life. Human, yet godly, saintly life. This all comes to us all freely, graciously, with our God’s unconditional love. 

Pastor Art