Observation: When Philip asks Jesus, "show us the Father," Jesus reveals what he's been trying to show his disciples all along. Jesus is intimately connected with his Father. If you've seen one, you've seen the other. They mutually dwell within one another, and those who are united to Jesus are united to the Father as well.
Application: Sometimes I get a little wrapped up in ideas, rather than real life experiences. Like Philip, I want to dwell on some aspect of God that I haven't seen--some unrevealed truth, that will make everything make sense. The pieces of the puzzle that I have, that which I have seen of God, or at least the things I've seen that I attribute to God, never feel like enough.
Jesus' words bring me back to reality. I'll never understand all of God--any God small enough for me to understand isn't really God anyway--but I can know God, by getting to know Jesus. I can learn from him in the Gospels, I can know his presence in worship, in the sacraments, in moments of mercy and forgiveness in everyday life.
Prayer: Jesus, I can only know union with God through your union with God. I can only know true peace through you. Abide in me, and help me to abide in you, just as you abide in the Father and the Spirit. Bring me to awareness of your unity with creation. Amen.
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