You have all received them. They usually end with a plea or a promise – “Please don’t break this one”, or “Send this to 10 people you care about, and you will receive your miracle in three days!” I refer to the ubiquitous “chain e mails” that arrive in my in box, often sent by a well-meaning friend, sometimes by a total stranger.
The latest of these was sent to me by a friend from church. He forwarded the e mail to me not because he believes that there is any validity to them, but because he knows how I feel about them. I believe these are an affront to God.
The subject line of this communication reads “NASA Photo...DON'T DELETE!”. The text of the e mail is as follows:
Dear All:
This photo is a very rare one, taken by NASA. This kind of event occurs once in 3000 years. This photo has done miracles in many lives. Make a wish ... you have looked at the eye of God. Surely you will see the changes in your life within a day!
Whether you believe it or not, don't keep this mail with you. Pass this at least to 7 persons. This is a picture NASA took with the Hubbell telescope.
Called 'The Eye of God..'
Too awesome to delete. It is worth sharing.
During the next 60 seconds, Stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity.
(Literally it is only One minute!)
Just send this to people and see what happens. Do not break this, please.
Interesting, isn’t it? This e mail contains both a plea (“Do not break this, please.”) and a promise (Surely you will see the changes in your life within a day!). It also contains a few inaccuracies.
The picture began circulating in 2003, and the plea/promise can be traced back to 2005. The picture, as “awesome” as it is, is of the Helix Nebula, and is actually a composite image formed from several photographs taken by the Hubbell Telescope and a land-based telescope in Tucson, Arizona. The tinting of the picture is artificial, and the nebula is always visible, not once every 3,000 years. (See SNOPES.COM )
The truth is – God has no eyes. Nor does he have ears, a mouth, hands, or feet. God is a spirit (John 4:24), without body parts. Scripture refers to God using these terms, but these are “anthropomorphisms” – the attribution of human form or behavior to God. The eyes of God, as well as the "seven eyes" of the Lamb (Rev 5:6) and the `many eyes' of the four living creatures of the Apocalypse (Rev 4:6; also Ezek 1:18; 10:12) are figurative expressions for the omniscience of God (compare Heb 4:13; Ps 139:16) and of His watchfulness and loving care (Jer 32:19). As the human eye may, with the slightest glance or motion, give an indication, a command, so God is able to "guide" or "counsel" His obedient child "with his eye" (Ps 32:8).1
Let’s suppose for a moment that we really could look into the eye of God. How would we react? “Hey, honey! Come here! You’ve got to see this!” Or “Hold still – I’ve got to get a picture so I can send it to everyone on my e mail list.” Or “I’m going to put this on Facebook!” I don’t think so. When the prophet Isaiah gazed upon the face of God, he became acutely aware of his own sinfulness and the sinfulness of the culture in which he lived. (Isaiah 6:1-5) His view of God caused him to find a level of humility he had never known before.
Now I know that some of you are thinking “Lighten up, man! It’s just an e mail!” It’s not. It’s representative of the countless ways in which the world subtly diminishes man’s view of God. God himself cannot be diminished, but man’s view of him certainly can – and our culture is paying the price.
Our God is an awesome God. He should be treated as such.
May it be so…
In Christ -
John
P.S. Did you notice that the e mail referenced above reads “This photo has done miracles in many lives.”? Not God – this photo.
1From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Electronic Database Copyright (C) 1996 by Biblesoft)
What is God? God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. (Westminster Confession Shorter Catechism, Question 4)
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