Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:12 that when we reach eternity, we shall finally see God face to face. But why wait for that encounter when we can have it now? Benedict says God is the foundational reality, not a God who is merely imagined or hypothetical, but God with a human face; he is God-with-us...
The rub is, how do we see God face to face in the here and now? I suggest we do so every time we transform the truths we believe in into a living and breathing reality. We can know God face to face by living beyond the merely hypothetical.
The values that brings us closest to this vision are those of mercy, forgiveness, compassion and charity. These are the values that require us to understand life on a different plane. We are challenged to see beyond the purely superficial level, and probe events in life, especially the most difficult ones, for the treasures they hold within. If we do this regularly, we ourselves will become transformed into very different human beings, with a depth and tranquility that defies human reasoning.
Eventually, like Mother Theresa, we ourselves will become the face of God to those who know us. For this face to face encounter is not as esoteric as we like to believe. God is very real, and stays very close to us.
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