Many question the reality of God when we or those close to us experience difficulties. As offspring and children of God, we are birthed into this world to grow into levels of maturity. Growth is often difficult to navigate, so troubling times are part of life in this natural realm.
Let’s take a few moments to examine how we actually see and experience God by comparing how natural light is observed and experienced. After all, God is Light. (a) [see endnotes for Scriptures] So, how and when is God-light clearly visible?
Understanding The Darkness and The Light
In the early days of space exploration one of the Russian cosmonauts returned from space and matter-of-factly stated that he hadn’t seen God! The essence of his comment was, “I’ve been there, done that, I didn’t see God – therefore there is no God.”
Rather than prove there is no God, He confirmed how our natural sight is limited. Just because God is not seen by Russian cosmonauts or our own astronauts, does it mean He is absent from outer space or that He does not exist? Or, is He actually present but invisible?
Experience has taught us that it is dark, very dark, in outer space. We also know that outer space is full of light traveling from stars in all directions. Only a tiny fraction of this light reaches the earth and becomes visible. Space travelers are not able to see the abundance of light in space because light is invisible to the human eye when there is no object to reflect off of it.
Scripture tells us that God is light and He dwells in the darkness! (b) The account of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments acknowledges God dwells in the darkness. (c) In the midst of his extreme trials, Job came to understand God dwells in darkness. (d) While there is no darkness in God, the darkness of this natural realm does not escape His presence.
Science has established that light passes any object, in either direction, at a relative speed of 186,000 miles per hour. If we could build a spaceship that could travel through space at 185,900 miles per hour and it was on a parallel course with light traveling in the same direction, the speed of light would still be 186,000 miles per hour faster than we are traveling!
The speed of light is an absolute in regard to all material. This is one of the remarkable implications of Einstein’s widely accepted formula. The abundance of light and its movement is not seen by the human eye.
The actual movement of light is truly unapproachable. Scripture tells us God is also unapproachable and is not seen by the natural human eye; “Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, which no one has seen or can see.” (e)
Scripture tells us that God is light and He dwells in the darkness!
God is Light
To comprehend God, we must allow our comprehensions to move outside of our human constraints of space, time, and matter. We must be flexible in how we think, reason, and perceive. God is a Spirit being that is not limited to our created time, space, and matter. He has no beginning or end, is ever present, all-powerful, always mindful, and invisible.
Our created natural environment is confined by space and is measured by three natural dimensions – length, width, and height. As all material objects, we are physically confined by space, time, and matter. Light also has a unique three-part nature with a source, movement, and visibility. We can understand light better when we consider the sun as its source, the waves and packets as the energy and motion of light, and the material atmosphere as light’s visible features.
In much the same way, we can better understand God by observing His three distinct personalities, which is described in Scripture as having the same features of light. Each expressive personality must be considered in order to view God in a meaningful way.
As Father, God is likened to the source of 
our physical light, the sun. While God is unapproachable light, like the sun, we can relate to Him through His expressions. As the natural sun is the source and creator of our natural light, our heavenly Father is the source and creator of all that supports our natural and spiritual livelihood.
Jesus Christ is the ‘visible’ time, space, and matter characteristic of God. The “spoken word (Greek – logos) of God” that was birthed and lived as a man, (f) makes it possible for us to better comprehend God. The man, Jesus, is a perception of God that we can clearly see and relate to.
The Holy Spirit is the motion and energetic flow of God’s presence. There is a parallel with the waves and packets of physical light, which describe the motion and flow of the sun’s light. As the sun creates the action and motion that is seen and felt on earth as light, so the expressive action and motion of God’s Spirit produces the felt and seen presence of Him in our lives.
As with any three-in-one, neither part is a fullness of the complete whole, nor is the whole fully comprehended without each part. We relate to the visual aspect of light as God, but we understand the visual is only a part of the light equation, not the fullness of light or of the Eternal One.
The Holy Spirit is the motion and energetic flow of God’s presence.
Light Of The World
We can see that visible light is only one of three parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. In reading the Scriptures we need to be reminded that as humans we can only see and experience a very small percentage of the electro-magnetic spectrum. Jesus Christ is an integral part of God-light as one of the personalities of God (the source, expressive motion, and visible perception). Jesus brings into relatable visibility the attributes of the other two personalities of the Eternal One.
As a person and his word are considered one, God’s spoken expression is considered as God Himself: “In the beginning was the Word (spoken expression), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (g) Jesus is the visible “word” of God who only did as his Father willed, consequently he is considered as his Father: “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.” (h) Jesus is the most visible “light of the world,” (i) allowing us to visualize the ways and nature of God-light in our world of time, space, and matter.
As all humanity receives rain and sunshine, everyone experiences God-light and love, even those who do not take notice or admit His existence. (j) We can see the evidence of light and understand many of its characteristics by observing the color variances of the material substances that absorb and reflect light. As with natural light, we all receive and reflect light in dissimilar ways.
Just as the sun hardens clay and melts butter, everyone responds to the Spirit of God differently. We can be children who partake of God’s presence and follow the light or as offspring who are not very aware. As we spend time receiving from God’s abiding presence, we become clearer light reflectors. (k)
How well are we responding to God and His various expressions? Jesus informed his followers: “You are the light of the world.” (l) So, it is appropriate to ask, how well are we, as the body of Christ (m) reflecting the light of God into our world?
Everyone experiences God-light and love, even those who do not take notice or admit His existence.
a) 1 John 1:5; b) Psalm 18:9-11; 2 Chronicles 6:1, 1 Kings 8:12, 2 Samuel 22:10-12; c) Exodus 20:21; Deuteronomy 5:23; d) Job 38:19-21; e) 1 Timothy 6:16 NIV; f) John 1:1, 14; g) John 1:1; h) John 14:9; i) John 8:12; 9:4-5; j) Matthew 5:45; k) Matthew 5:15; 1 Corinthians 13:11-12; 2 Corinthians 3:18; l) Matthew 5:14-16; m) 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:5;
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author