Tangible God

"Before FUI I knew God. I knew who he was in my life, I knew his heart for missions, I knew his love for people, I knew his sovereignty. Well, 6 weeks engaging with the city of Fresno has shown me how ignorant I was and still am to the character of God. FUI has introduced be to the incarnate God and the incarnate gospel. It has introduced me the God who became flesh and dwells among us. I have been consumed by a gospel that is tangible and relevant. In the city its hard to see a tangible God, violence, poverty, oppression consume you. All you seem to see is ugliness in broken down infrastructure, malnutritoned children, and seemingly unchangeable circumstances. But God has changed my eyes from that of one out looking in, to one in looking out. He has shown me the world from this perspective. And I know God is here, he is present and he is working.

The first class of the project we talked about loving our neighbor. We spoke of the greatest commandments asked of Jesus in the Gospels, He replies to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. These by many are believed to be separate not in relation to each other, but Jesus was asked of one commandment and He gave one commandment. Loving God and loving your neighbor is one command. You do not love God if you don’t love your neighbor. God has shown a very minute part of his heart for humanity. I am learning to love my neighbor but in essence I am learning to love God.

My site has become my training center. Throughout the summer we have engaged in various service projects, we have volunteered at many places and this has definitely shown me how to love my neighbor. However, it has been the teens that I work with whom I have learned the most about what loving my neighbor looks like. My teens have been at times difficult. They are amazing but they are a product of their environment and the sin within it. I’ve in this process I’ve learned that most importantly they are children of the almighty, they are influenced by sin just as I am but God has shown me so much of himself through them, their nature of hospitality, their passion and compassion, and there willingness to serve they have a great work ethic which they showed by putting in insulation and painting at different FIFUL sites. They have shown hospitality by inviting me to their home and having a meal with them. And they’ve show compassion by their tears in love and sadness. He has through them shown me how to love my neighbor.

God is here, he is engaged in this city, in the prison walls, at the rescue missions, in the churches who praise him, and in the people who call him Lord. God loves my neighbor I love my neighbor. God loves the city, I love the city."

by Lawrence Lyons