So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees me,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” ~ Genesis 16:13
As I walked around observing and taking pictures at the temple I found this area where people came to bless their loved ones and make prayer requests. They would purchase incense sticks, light them then go to a designated to pray for their loved ones. Afterwards they would stick them in one of a number of huge sand filled urns. In this area there was a kios that you could put your money into and the machine would kick out a number for you which you then took over to the interpretation key on the wall to see what blessing it/the machine/the spirit gave to you or your loved one (like a horoscope).
I was watching all this taking place when my friend Dave came over and explained to me what was going on. He also told me that when praying to the spirits they would have made sure to clearly state their names and even their home address so that the blessings they purchased and requested wouldn’t accidentally land on their neighbour. The reason? The gods don’t know them at all. They don’t know their names. They don’t know where they live. There is absolutely nothing personal in the connection attempting to be made — it is merely a transaction in which the person hopes they have done enough, paid enough, prayed enough to please the/a spirit so that they would be sent results.
My friends have been in the mission fields for years and have observed that when people from different religions learn that God not only sees them but knows them, they are utterly astounded. When they learn that God also WANTS to have a relationship with them it is extremely difficult for them to even begin to comprehend.
It was a good lesson for me to take in and reflect upon. I so often take for granted God’s desire to know me and have a relationship. As our discussion turned towards scripture we talked about how Hagar was amazed that God would see her, talk to her, and care about her plight (Genesis 16) calling Him ‘a god who sees her.’ I think of the Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus purposefully travelled into Samaria to see. Zachaeus in the tree. The disciples Jesus called from the fishing industry or him seeing Nathanael under the tree before Philip came to bring him to Jesus. All throughout scripture God sees people…people not seen by others…people in back yard threshing floors, people plowing their families fields, ones considered dishonourable by society and cast aside to the outer fringes. This personal God of ours who sees us is so rare, so unique, so compelling!
People today still desire to be seen. I still desire to be seen but how often do I believe the lie that God not only doesn’t seem me but doesn’t care? Yet scripture, over and over and over again declares God’s heart desire to know us and be known by us. Even more so, that this desire comes from a deep heart of love. Love doesn’t even enter into the relational contracts that Buddhists enter into when they offer their gifts and prayers. O God, forgive us when we begin to see you as a purely transactional God instead of a relational one. Forgive us when we start to think you really don’t care and our lives are simply a game for Your amusement when all You want is the best for us…and the best for us is offering Yourself to us. Thank you for Your love…and for seeing us.