Imago Adventus - 04 - Hurt

Genesis 6:5-8 - Hurt The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the LORD said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing —all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” But Noah found favor with the LORD.

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I love this little statue. It is in the prayer garden at the church I serve and I can see it whenever I look out my office door into the prayer garden. I have taken many pictures of it over the years and I am sure more will be taken. The thing for me is that I have yet to really settle on what I think the statue “feels like” - not sure whether it looks like its just reflective, meditative, quiet, sad, hurt…still not sure. And it looks different from different angles. But for today, this is what I think it represents to me - hurt - like the hurt spoken of in this passage from Genesis. I don’t see the hurt here described like a searing pain, but just a dull ache, a deep disappointment, one of those feelings that one gets deep in their stomach that just shows that not all is right. Yet, I love how Voskamp moves into the new testament that notes that the grace of Jesus is a flood of its own that covers over the hurt - instead of destruction, this hurt is covered over with love.

I will say that I have had times where I have been struggling along and wondered whether God really struggled alongside me. I know that is not an uncommon feeling for people. Its easy to say the words that “Oh, I know God’s right there…” but is it really felt deep within us? I think that there’s a lot of truth to the story I heard once about a young child calling for his parents during a bad thunderstorm. When the mom came in, she said that everything would be ok because “God’s watching over you.” But the boy responded, “I know Mommy, but I want someone with skin on!” When we are hurting, we need someone with skin on to walk alongside us, to pick us up, to help us forward. So, look today for someone for whom you can be “God with skin on” and help them in their hurt?