Through the Glass
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
At First Covenant, our mission and vision fit together as one whole statement. We say that we are a community “rooted and grounded in love, seeking to grow up together into the fullness of Jesus.”
Rooted in love, which is to be rooted in God’s own self, we are a people who are seekers. We are animated by the belief that there’s more to find. The riches of God are vast, and the wisdom of God is deep and wide. With one another, we want to learn how to explore those caverns and swim in those oceans. We want to show one another what we find, and work with the diverse gifts God gives to see his goodness, truth, and beauty more fully.
For some, it is strange to imagine being a seeker. Why should those who have found God be commanded to seek after him? And yet, this is precisely what Scripture teaches. Throughout the pages of both testaments, the people of God are commanded to seek the Lord, which implies that there is more there for them to find.
Even though God reveals himself to his people, he doesn’t want the seeking to stop. Our love for God compels us to always desire to know more about God. And because love is endless and God is infinite, the seeking never stops.
This is precisely what Paul teaches in his famous chapter on the endurance of love.
In this age of faith, we see and we know partially. It’s like standing a building in the middle of the night, peering through the glass to see what’s inside. Where there is no light, there is no sight. And yet, our love and our desire to see inside and be inside keep us looking. We are compelled to keep peering and scanning, hoping for a flash of what our eyes cannot fully see and our minds do not know.
From the rootedness and grounding of God’s love, we will seek for God together. We will explore ancient and modern spiritual practices for a deepening discipleship. We will examine ourselves, our world, and strain to see more. But we will do so with Paul’s humility always before us: what we know is, at best, a dim outline. A candle burning in a dark room, casting shadows. We can be sure there’s something there, and our love will keep us looking.
Through the Glass is published weekly on Thursdays. To receive new posts directly to your inbox you can subscribe to our mailing list
