Seeing God Everywhere
by Luke McConnell
Mary and I had the fortunate opportunity to take a cruise around Italy earlier this month. It was an incredible trip, one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that you hope is not actually only once in a lifetime. It was made more incredible by Mary’s parents taking all four of our boys for the two weeks we were gone. They’re the real MVPs of the trip!
While on the trip, there were obviously many moments to experience God in ways I don’t in my everyday existence. That’s probably one of my favorite parts of being in a different place. Here in OKC, I can take for granted the ways I see God in creation or in the day-to-day routines. But take me out of those routines and stick me in a foreign country, and my eyes grow wide once again.
Two things in particular stand out to me. First, nothing makes you feel as small and insignificant as the ocean. When you’re on a big cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and you can’t see land in any direction, there’s a quick realization of how big the world is and how small you are in the grand scheme of things.
Mountains are much more impressive to look at as they tower over the land, but you can hike a mountain. People climb mountains all the time. This is a statement without any research, but I’d imagine most, if not all, of the major mountains in the world have been scaled by someone.
Shockingly, a few (crazy) people have swam across the Atlantic Ocean. But the number of those who have accomplished that feat pales in comparison to the number of people who have hiked to the top of the Rockies.
As I looked out over the ocean and felt immensely small, it was comforting to know we serve a God who makes the oceans look like a raindrop. And we can have a personal relationship with this very same God! What grace, love and mercy God has shown us.
The other thing that really stood out to me was in Rome. The Pantheon is one of the most impressive ancient buildings you can see in the entire world. It remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. Considering the current iteration was completed in the second century, that’s pretty impressive.
Its purpose is what stood out to me. While there is plenty of scholarly debate about this, it’s at least clear the building was for some sort of worship to other gods or the Roman emperors. Around A.D. 613, it was consecrated as a church. Think about the picture this portrays. A building once used to worship idols became a place of worship to the one, true God.
What a testament to Philippians 2:10-11 which says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
No matter what man tries to do or accomplish, God will win, and he will have his glory. Everyone will acknowledge his Lordship and authority, regardless of their personal relationship with him.
I love seeing God in the world around me. I hope we can all appreciate the ways we see God every day and when we experience something new, and that we can drink in new ways to see and experience God.
Author Bio
Luke serves as the Cube Director at Council Road. He previously worked at Channel 9 as a sports writer and an account executive. He also serves as the play-by-play voice for Southern Nazarene University athletics. Luke graduated from OU in 2011. He and his wife, Mary, have been members at Council Road since 2012. They have four boys: Andrew, Logan, Jackson and Cameron. Mary teaches third grade at Wiley Post Elementary. They also help lead a home group.