by James Smart

Created on: May 01, 2008

A few hundred years ago the masses were controlled and kept in line by the church through portaying God as a very angry being who is constantly looking to punish people. Those who filled the pews spent their lives guilt-ridden and living in fear of divine retribution because of some moral weakness in their lives.

Today among many free churches God isn't frightening at all. God is our "buddy", "One of the lads", He's "cool", we "hang out" with God, we "high-five" God. God has been domesticated, neutered, tamed and made user-friendly for the 21st century Christian.

Now, although I don't agree with the former mentioned perception of God, I also have a sneaking suspicion that the latter view is also not quite right.

Let's talk about fear.

On the TV there has been at least one movie and a couple of documentaries about deep sea fishermen. These men go out and risk their lives in the course of their work. We see images of storms and treacherous seas threatening to smash and sink these fishing vessels and kill all on board. These men could probably tell you something about fear. They could probably describe to you how they have experienced the terrors of the power of nature at sea. To survive, they have had to learn to respect the oceans they fish in. Out there, they may say, the sea is the boss. They obey the rules. They know when it's time to give up, where to go and where not to go. They usually have an idea where the storms are about to hit and they don't mess about - they stay away because they as have learned to fear the sea. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that these deep sea fishermen fear the sea more than they did before they first ventured out. Yet despite this fear and respect for the ocean, don't they also love it? The ocean is both beautiful and terrible.

God is not unlike the ocean. When we stand on the sea shore the sea laps up and tickles our feet. When we wade out we are careful not to go out of our depth. We are mindful of the tides. Some foolish people think the sea at the sea-side is just a play thing. Next minute they're being dragged out to sea in a rubber dingy and have to be rescued by the coast-guard!

Surfers have to respect the sea. If they don't the huge waves they ride will crush them. The thing they love they must fear as well. And this fear and love keeps them coming back. It is this kind of fear which further opens up a person's consciousness, thisn kind of fear deepens love for that which is feared. It's the wow factor. It is what is truly AWESOME.

Awesome. Now there is a word which has been completely cheapened in our current venacular. "Yea, I went to this party - it was awesome!" this and that is "awesome", everything is "awesome"! THESE SILLY LITTLE THINGS ARE NOT AWESOME!

Awesome is the incomprehensible distances between stars, the mind-boggling laws of physics and quantum mechanics, the power of a tornado, the intricate design of a flower, the massive explosive energy of an atom, the beauty of a human face.

God is awesome. God is to be feared, because this kind of fear melts human pride and draws out adoration and speechless dumbstruck awe-inspired worship of the One who holds all these beautiful and terrible things on the tip of His little finger.

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