The goanna crossed my path, its colour blending with the hues of the ground. It jumped into the pond and quietly waited with only its head above water – again barely noticeable among the Salvinia leaves. Finally the creature swam to the tree growing in the water and climbed up. It came to rest about half a metre up the trunk where it sat motionless, once more almost inconspicuous against its background. Any passer-by not aware of its presence would easily miss seeing it.
Camouflage is a familiar phenomenon in nature. For many creatures, it is their chief line of defence against predators – a vital means of survival. Insects living on the ground or among leaves, such as grasshoppers, caterpillars, and praying mantises, are brown or subdued shades of green. Birds in tropical and semitropical areas, such as lorikeets, rosellas, and other parrot species blend into their surroundings with their bright-coloured attire. Some animals change colour with seasons so as not to stand out in their environment. Hares in temperate climates, for instance, grow a white winter coat to make them inconspicuous in snow, and exchange it for a light brown one in spring to blend with the surrounding hues. And remarkably, chameleons change their colour at short notice if their environment changes. Only upon closer observation do we become aware of the presence of many living creatures.
The Camouflaged God
The Creator aspect of the Divine – the Mind and Life Force in and behind all living things – not only built camouflage into nature, but one could say that God also uses camouflage. The presence of the Divine in the world is not obvious. “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t” wrote Blaise Pascal.
God’s existence cannot be irrevocably proven or disproven. There is room for other explanations regarding the origin and existence of the universe and life, supporting the arguments of those who wish to remain atheists. At the same time, strong evidence suggests a supernatural mind behind all things. Nonetheless, when witnessing misery and suffering caused by human inhumanity or natural forces, many ask if God can indeed exist. Some theologians have also written about God’s hiddenness.
All religions agree that the true and absolute Reality and Consciousness referred to as God is beyond human comprehension and expression in any language. Anything we may describe as God is only a symbol, analogy or metaphor that we can get our minds around. God is far more, far greater, and far beyond anything we can imagine or put into words. The physical world, however, contains signs and attributes of the ultimate Reality. If we realize that every-thing around us points to the indescribable God beyond time and space – remembering at all times that whatever we see is not God – we can catch glimpses of the Ultimate.
Perception of anything is individual and relative. How we perceive people, events, or even our surroundings depends to a large degree on our disposition, personality, knowledge, experiences, prejudices, and even our mood of the moment. The axiom that beauty is in the eye of the beholder applies in principle also to perception of what we consider to be right or true in the human realm, as well as in the realm of God and spirituality. A cynic or pessimist, shaped by his or her experiences, tends to view life negatively – people as inherently evil, the universe as unfriendly, and God as harsh or non-existent. By contrast, an optimist’s perception of life tends to be positive and hopeful.
Perceiving the Camouflaged God
God, the Divine Reality and Source of all things, is both hidden and perceivable – not unlike the goanna silently hugging the tree trunk. Only upon a closer, careful look with an open mind and heart are God’s attributes and presence perceived – be it in nature, external events and circumstances, or in one’s personal life. And, just as sometimes another person is needed to show us the camouflaged goanna on the tree, we may need a spiritual guide to help us discern God’s presence. For those seeking to develop a greater awareness of the Divine, the following principles may be helpful.
Firstly, God’s attributes may be perceived in what surrounds us. We sense the transcendent in a spectacular sunrise, a brightly coloured butterfly fluttering from one flower to another, or adorable kittens romping together in play. We are awed by a star-filled, moonlit night sky, towering snow-capped mountains, or even an ancient tree of giant proportions. Human creativity in the realms of music, art, sculpture, poetry, and writing often attests to divine inspiration. Tasty and attractive food on the table, produced through a combination of rain and sunshine as well as human effort, witnesses to divine goodness. All these give us a sense of personal smallness contrasted with an almost perceptible awareness of the Mystery beyond.
Secondly, through eyes of faith, one can recognize divine presence in human behaviour – be it the love between a man and a woman, the tenderness of a mother for her baby, the sacrificial devotion of parents to their growing children, or the tireless service of aid workers toward the marginalized living in ill health and extreme poverty in various parts of the world. God’s love and grace are perceivable in heroic rescue efforts and selfless sacrifice witnessed after disasters. Volunteers rally and travel long distances to alleviate suffering in areas devastated by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or tsunamis.
Thirdly, the hand of God may be noticed in our own experiences, often retrospectively. Sometimes tragic events from the past are seen in a new light, and what had appeared as losses is now perceived as great gains. We recognize other special moments of transcendence – something beyond us and outside the ordinary. It can be the chance meeting of a special person who becomes our life partner and soul mate. The love shared between friends is likewise something wonderful, undeserved and profound. Experiencing or witnessing the birth of one’s own child often gives the parents an overwhelming sense of the mystery of life in which they have been co-creators of a new and unique human being.
Another transcendent moment can be protection when disaster was certain, such as a miraculous avoidance of a car crash. It can also be a special breakthrough, when circumstances came together just at the right time without much effort on our part. Then, there is the inspiration in a creative endeavour – we sense ourselves working in partnership with an outside Source of help, as well as being touched from within, and the final result is more than would have been possible through our own effort. Yet another grace moment occurs when a heart is supernaturally softened and we are enabled to let go of long-held anger and bitterness and to forgive another person who has caused us grievous harm.
Divine grace can also be experienced in fearful situations – such as disaster, terminal illness, tragic death of a loved one, failure and great loss, or abandonment and loneliness. Having exhausted our options and been stretched seemingly beyond our limits, here in our darkest hours we may, perhaps for the first time ever, cry out for help to a Higher Power. And often, there comes a feeling of being upheld, helped and supported. While anguishing to deal with at the time, these experiences may ultimately become life-giving turning points.
And, on day-to-day level, we can intuit divine Providence in delicious food on the table, acts of kindness from loved ones or even strangers, and gracious provision of our needs. Sometimes in the nick of time, we receive desperately needed money, roof over our head, or employment.
Fourthly, divine fingerprints can be found in sacred writings. The Bible, for example, shows God at work in history and in the lives of ordinary individuals. The Old Testament, referred to as the Hebrew Scriptures in the Jewish context, deals primarily with the nations of Israel and Judah descended from the patriarch Abraham (see the books of Genesis through to 2 Chronicles). The history as related in the Scriptures is somewhat based on historical reality, but is also metaphorical – and so has a universal application for life.
In addition, the Word of God provides wisdom principles, as well as examples of human experience in response to God (see, for instance, Psalms, Proverbs, and the book of Job). Prophetically, the Old Testament points to the coming of a Saviour, and ultimately to a restoration of the earth and the universe (see the books of Major Prophets and Minor Prophets).
The New Testament introduces the prophesied Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus becomes a symbol and embodiment of the Ultimate Reality, which he refers to as his Father. After his death, the Holy Spirit becomes available by grace. Through the Spirit in human hearts and minds, the perception of God increases, Scriptures are opened to understanding, and lives become more kind and loving.
The one transcendent Creator God desires humans to seek and find him. Even though he is incomprehensible and beyond our dimension of existence, he is also not far from any one of us. He does not often communicate in dramatic ways – but rather in a still small voice within, through another person, a special moment or circumstance, or a piece of writing. If we look for and become attuned to these moments of grace in ordinary things and events, we will be amazed and indeed awed at their frequency. It is all a matter of awareness, discernment and perception. Even though God is camouflaged in the fabric of life and speaks in quiet whispers, we can become conscious of his very real presence.
Adapted from Divine Reflections in Living Things by Eva Peck
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