I Saw God Today

A friend recently said that she experienced "God with skin," after another had offered her a special prayer for strength. I thought about those three words a lot and wondered what it would be like to see "God with skin on." What would God look like? Would God be tall or short, slim or plump? Hmm, "God with skin on." Would God be male or female, young or old, dark skinned or light? God with skin on. What an interesting thought.

This has been a difficult few days in the life of our small rural community. A fallen warrior, an American soldier, son, brother, husband and father was taken from us in the fight for freedom in a place called Afghanistan. He was critically injured by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Captain Rob Yllescas was only 31 years old, far too young to be taken from his wife and daughters, other family members, friends and comrades.

The service for Captain Yllescas was the most stirring I have ever witnessed and that's saying a lot since I have been an ordained pastor for more than 23 years. I saw many service men and women who either had been deployed or will be. Some were officers others non-commissioned officers and others of lesser ranks. Some were female and others male. Some were very young while others had been in the service for many years. I looked at those brave souls who all volunteered to put on the uniform of their country, take up arms and protect the cause of freedom her and abroad and I saw God with skin. I saw VFW and Legion members from every war from WWII to Korea to Vietnam and others in between and I saw God with skin on. I saw the Patriot Riders on their motorcycles in sub-freezing weather and I saw God with skin on. I looked through my tear clouded eyes and saw young and old with tears in their eyes and I saw God with skin on. The shortest verse in the Bible is only two words, "Jesus wept." And today I saw God with skin on weeping. I am so proud of those men and women who serve and have served. I hope you will join me in always thanking them for their service. Today, I visited with a major and an E-6 and thanked them for their service and their reply was, "Thanks for paving the way." I saw God with skin on and he was weeping, he was proud, he was grieved, he was clergy, he was wife and daughter and son and brother and friend and hero. That's it isn't it, God is one of us.

Sunday morning we awoke to the horrible news that a young man named Jason Haack had been killed in a motor vehicle accident while apparently checking cattle. Jason was one of the finest young men you could ever hope to meet. Like the famous Will Rogers, Jason never met a stranger. I coached him in track for a time until chronic injuries forced him to stop. When I would see Jason with that big cowboy hat and boots I saw God with skin on. Jason like Rob was far too young. Now I see his classmates and those of other classes in shock, trying to make sense out of a senseless tragedy. I see them searching for someway of expressing their feelings and I see God with skin on.

It is true that God had and has skin on. God put skin on and became Jesus Christ. That same God with skin was beaten beyond recognition, nailed to a cross, mocked, died and was buried for Rob and Jason their families and for you and I. God put skin on to show us what real hope looks like. God with skin on was a tiny baby in Bethlehem, a carpenter's son in Nazareth, a teacher a brother, a son and friend who came for one reason and one reason only......for each of us. Scripture said, "He died once for all." He didn't die just for the Jew or the Greek, but for the young soldier and the teenager and the heros on motorcycles and YOU AND ME.

Hmmm. God with skin on. What an interesting thought. Some are so hung up on stereotypes of God that they fail to see him when he puts skin on. While I believe that God is gender neutral because scripture tells us that God is spirit, I also believe when I looked at Robs wife and daughters I saw God with skin on. There is a song, "What if God was one of us......a slob like one of us?" Well, my friends God is one of us. Several years ago during a morning Bible study for mostly older women someone asked, "If Jesus were to come today how would you know it." My beloved second mother, Marge Haggard, said, "It's easy. I've seen him." She was saying in a sense that she had seen God with skin on. Would you like to see God? You can and it's easy. Look at the widow, the widower, the child, the wounded warrior, the person next door. Look deeply and you are likely to see God with skin on.

Yes, it's been a difficult few days for our little spot on planet earth. But wait a minute......it's also been a wonderful few days because "I Saw God Today," and God had skin on.

God Bless America and God Bless You and God Bless the American Soldier!