We Really Don’t Have to See to Believe

Once upon a time, long before any of us had ever heard of something called “the novel coronavirus,” aka “Covid-19,” my family traveled to Charleston, S.C. to attend a lovely outdoor wedding. The setting couldn’t have been more perfect. Well, almost. Situated along the banks of the James River, the temperature was pleasant and the natural views were breath-taking. The problem was with what we couldn’t see.

During the ceremony, guests began scratching – their scalps, their arms, their legs. What was causing the itch? Nothing that we could see. But the itching and temporary annoyances were there just the same.

 

Only later did we discover the culprits. Tiny creatures known in the region as “no-see-ums,” a pesky species of insects known by their scientific name, Ceratopogonidae. Being 1-3 millimeters in length, they’re extremely hard to see; hence their name. But for the fidgeting, itching wedding guests on that warm summer evening, believing required no seeing. Virtually invisible to the eye, the effects of the bugs were undeniable.

 

We’ve all heard the phrase, “seeing is believing,” but our world offers us myriad examples that confirm that in many respects, believing is seeing. We can’t see the wind, but can observe its impact blowing through the trees or whipping through our hair. We can’t see love as a tangible entity, but can see it displayed through a kiss or hug, acts of kindness, and faithful devotion. 

 

We can’t pour hatred into a container – although I wish we could, and then bury it in the deepest hole ever dug. But throughout human history we’ve seen the devastating evidence of hate, manifested in countless ways, including over the past year and a half. Not being able to see something doesn’t disprove its existence.

 

This lighted cross at Lake Junaluska,
N.C. is a visual symbol of the 
unseen but very real God.

In a far more profound way, being able to believe in what can’t be seen is crucial to one’s faith in the all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing God. In the Old Testament, we read about Moses boldly asking God, “show me Your glory.” After being directed to hide within the crevice of a rock, Moses was permitted to gaze at God’s back, but not His face (Exodus 33:18-23). But to actually see God in His totality? That would be the ultimate mind-blowing experience, far beyond the capacity of the human brain.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was visible during the 33 years He took on human form –“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). But during most of the time when Jesus’ closest followers were seeing Him, day after day, after day, they failed to understand or believe who He really was.

 

And even after the disciples finally “got it,” Jesus downplayed the importance of physically seeing Himself. Speaking to Thomas – commonly known as “doubting Thomas” because he seemed always to insist on tangible proof before moving into genuine belief – Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

 

So it seems actual sight isn’t all that critical, unless the seeing comes through the eyes of faith. I appreciate what 1 Peter 1:8-9 has to say about this:“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

 

From time to time we hear people say things like, “You can’t prove the existence of God!” But He’s not a lab experiment. And it’s equally true that we can’t disprove the existence of God. In fact, if we consider the visible and demonstrable effects the Lord has on this world, proof far outweighs the lack of it. 

 

In fact, in Romans 1:19-20 we read, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain…. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

 

Think about it: The complexity of our world and the universe. The inexplicable synchronicity that seems to govern everything, even when science tells us things naturally move from order to chaos, not the other way around. The amazing and always surprising beauty of creation and all that it includes. Not only these, but also human qualities such as creativity, love, compassion, mercy, humor, even consciousness and reason. Those certainly could not have “evolved” from nothingness, or even inanimate, lifeless objects.

 

Life is filled with things we find difficult to comprehend. Many of our “why” and “how” questions concerning God and His workings beg for answers we’ll not likely receive this side of eternity. But again, this is why “believing is seeing” is such an important ingredient in the recipe for a growing, trusting relationship with the Lord. “For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).