God With Skin On

A Reflection on the Second Reading for August 18th, 2019:
​Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 12.1-4

Brothers and sisters: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the Cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Consider Jesus who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

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Years ago, I came across a story of a child who woke up in the middle of the night from a bad dream and was afraid to go back to sleep. To calm his fears his mother assured him that he was not alone; that God was with him and would always be with him. But the child would not settle and responded, “But I want God with skin on!”


Like that child, there are days when I am looking for God with skin on too. I don’t often have bad dreams but I do have bad days—crazy, frustrating days where everything seems to go completely and utterly wrong. Yet in this letter to the Hebrews, I am reminded that Jesus had THE worst bad day ever! Most of us will never experience anything close to what Jesus suffered—for our sake! Often I get so caught up in my own woes that I forget this important gift and sacrifice made for me and all of God’s creation to “perfect our faith”. In moments of despair I find I need to feel God present in some physical way to remind me that I’m not alone in the craziness. Like the child who sought God with “skin on”, I can think of God as some transcendent being that cannot easily be touched, or heard, or seen. This passage tells us that God is felt, heard and seen through Jesus—who was literally God with skin on—as well as in all people past, present, and future who encounter Jesus. People who not only encounter Him but also boldly witness to others Christ’s revelation of an ever present unconditionally loving God. As believers called to witness, we can be God-with-skin-on for one another. 

"As believers called to witness, we can be God-with-skin-on for one another."​

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In my previous work as a hospital chaplain I found myself trying to do this very thing for my patients. Because I knew (and still know) God’s gift of His presence to me, I also knew He was with those I visited. However, patients would not always recognize this because of the circumstances of their medical situation. By being in the room with them and offering to hear their story, or say a prayer, or simply sit silently with them I could assure them that they were not alone. In those moments I was able to share God’s gift to me with them. 


I had a friend and colleague in ministry that would often say to me: "How do we let people know they are not alone?" We all desire a sense of belonging to others; God did not create us to be alone. In our most challenging, frustrating circumstances in life God wants to reassure us over and over again that we are not alone. Knowing God’s presence—through people and through the Spirit—is a gift. And a gift truly becomes a gift when it is shared with others.


​Aurea Sadi

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