Today our new pastor took us on a tour. We stopped at so many places that were pivotal to history in this region especially looking at the influence of religion. First, we walked through Novi Sad’s fortress. Then took pictures of a Roman Catholic Church on the way to Sremski Karlovci, Serbia. The pastor explained that this little town was significant to Serbian culture.
We then walked into a beautiful but dark Orthodox Church. Pastor explained that the Orthodox religion has great influence in this area of the world. When I walked into this church there was so many paintings based on biblical stories. Each painting was framed with big, ornate frames. There were chairs but a only few against the walls and very little lighting. We couldn’t take pictures and it was very quiet besides the choir music playing.
When I walked out, Pastor explained that the Orthodox religion focuses on the mystery of God. The priests are the ones with access to God and they don’t have services where people participate. People are expected to observe and be in awe of God’s mystery. Pastor said that in Orthodox religion God is very distant and mysterious.
It made me sad to think that people so devoted to their religion misses the truth.
Our God is not distant. He is mysterious because our limited minds cannot fathom the wonders of His Majesty. Yet, He wants to be known and he wants us to know Him intimately. God gave us His Word so that we could know Him.
In every story, God reaches out to man and draws him closer to Himself. It’s unimaginable to think the Creator of the Universe wants a relationship with me, yet His Word proves it. Not only His Word, but through His Son, Jesus, God demonstrated His love for us. Religion is empty if it is not centered on this truth.
This scripture came to mind today. John 1:10-14 “He was in the world, and the world was created through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe his name, who were born, not if natural descent, or the will of the flesh, or the will of man, but of God. The Word become flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Thank you, God, for wanting to be known and for giving us your Word.
