You are not Invisible

In a world surrounded by crowds and constant background ‘noise’ it can feel like nobody sees you. You go to work dutifully and spend the day unnoticed by your coworkers and supervisors. Everyone is jockeying for ‘their ten minutes of fame, but you feel invisible.

There was a woman who was so sick that she tried everything to be healed. She spent all her money, went to all the specialists, but remained sick. She felt all alone until one day Jesus was walking by her town. She secretly went to Him in the crowd and touched Him. Here’s her story.

At that time, a great crowd followed Jesus and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?'” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had been done to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5.24-34

Despite the crowd she was not invisible to God. Jesus didn’t ask, “Who touched me,” because He didn’t know. Jesus asked for the sake of the crowd. He wanted to crowd to know what great faith was in their midst. He wanted her to know she was not invisible.

Just because we call God ‘all-seeing’ doesn’t mean we always remember that means He sees us in our need and pain. We are tempted to think God is so busy with others that He doesn’t have time for our pain. We think we are left to suffer, alone and invisible. It just isn’t true.

You are not alone. You are not invisible. God sees you even when you don’t ‘feel’ seen by Him. So, if God sees us in our pain, why must we still suffer? I can’t really answer that. Maybe there’s a lesson He wants us to learn. Maybe He needs us to see we are stronger than we think.

Whatever the reason God has for seeing us, but not helping us, we can only trust that God knows the next step for us. He knows how we will react to Him. He knows our abilities. He knows just how far we can handle it without Him, before we take action.

The woman in today’s Gospel story didn’t ‘just sit and wait’ for God. She went to Him. She knew His power. She knew He had the ability to heal her. She also knew He was her last hope. God allowed her to suffer ‘just long enough’ to realize she needed to go to Him.

Ever since God commanded Moses to build the Tabernacle in the desert, God has always promised to be physically present for His people. In every Orthodox Church, on every Altar Table, Jesus Christ is always physically present. He sees you and He is waiting for you.

Going to Church is much more than checking off a box of required attendance. Going to Church is entering into the physical presence of God, so we can be healed by Him. If you feel invisible, it isn’t because God doesn’t see you. It is because He is waiting for you inside the Church.

This is a strange concept for non-Orthodox Christians. I hear it all the time. God is everywhere. We don’t have to go to Church to pray. That is true, but then why do you feel invisible? Maybe it is because God is waiting for you to go to Him. He is waiting for you inside the Church.

Anyone who has ever had a pen pal knows the difference between communicating with someone from a distance and being in the same room together. Being in Church, is being in the same room with God. It makes a difference Before you go there is something you should know.

Remembering that God sees you isn’t enough. You still must trust He knows what is best for you. You may not get everything exactly how you want it. Just because we want something doesn’t mean God wants the same thing for us. We must trust He knows best.

The woman wanted to remain invisible, but God wanted something different for her. She received part of what she wanted but had to accept God’s will for the rest. So, go to the Church to be with God. When you get there, accept what He wants more than what you want.

Being seen isn’t the same as getting everything we want. Sometimes being seen just reminds us that we want more than we need. Sometimes being seen just reminds us that God has been watching us all along. We were the ones not seeing Him.