“Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves” – John 14:8-11
My dad passed 35 years ago this weekend. He is the only man I can remember ever wanting to be like. Yet, I never thought I was. Weeks after his funeral, I said something and laughed, and I heard him. I ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror and cry.
I now see myself doing many things he did. His laugh, certain phrases, mannerisms.
Is it just learned behavior or or am I created in his image and likeness?
When I wanted to get out on my own. I joined the USAF and left home. I always felt a tug back, at the time I called it homesickness. But, now I see it as more.
Now that I’ve been out of the house for about 40 years, the one I wanted to leave is in me. It’s funny. When I was young, I didn’t see the resemblance between my father and myself, but now that I’m a man of shall we saymore years, I’m seeing him more and more.
Maybe maturity somehow results in me being more and more in my father’s image and likeness. Maybe it’s because in maturity I got to know my father better. And when I was a boy, the difference between me and my father was vast. I was small; he was big. I was dumb; he was wise. He was strong; I was weak. I collected baseball cards, and he worked for a living and paid the mortgage. Now as I’ve aged, comparing myself to him is somehow clearer. Like that day after the funeral, a miracle happened, and I became him in many ways. Many relatives who knew my dad remark how much I look like him, or sound like him. I hear his voice at times in my own. Sometimes, if I catch a side glance in a mirror, I see him.
I think this is true with our relationship with God as well. I love Philip’s request in the Gospel reading yesterday. He said, we just want to see the Father and that’s all. Oh, that’s all you wanna see. “Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
As we mature, we need to strive to see the Father in our reflection. We need to hear His voice in ours – His words and ‘idioms’ coming from our lips. The mannerisms of God should be seen in us – prayer and surrender.
So, Come Holy Spirit, show us the Father in us. Let us see and hear the One in Who’s image we are created.