Reaching for the Invisible God: What can we expect to find?

by Philip Yancey

Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.

Reviewed by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur



Philip Yancey explores developing an active relationship with God in Reaching for the Invisible God: What can we expect to find? (Zondervan, 2000) He begins by discussing the reasons for bothering to develop a relationship with a being who we cannot see or experience in any of our "usual" ways of knowing. He acknowledges that such a relationship can be fraught with doubt, but maintains that "the only thing more difficult than having a relationship with an invisible God is having no such relationship."

Much of Yancey's book is dedicated to the struggle to maintain a relationship with God in the midst of our suffering. Because a relationship with God is easier when life seems to be going our way, continuing the relationship in times of human trial is the greater challenge. Yancey compares the relationship between a person and God to that between spouses or between a parent and child. Relationships between humans may be easier when all is going well, but it is times of difficulty, when the relationship is tested and yet continues, that true growth in the relationship occurs. So, it is with God. We may want to rally against God in our suffering, but in continuing our faithfulness, our relationship with God will be strengthened. Our faith will allow us to survive the difficult phases in our lives and will allow us to rejoice in times of joy.

The last portion of Reaching for the Invisible God discusses how to live in relationship with God. According to Yancey, God wants a relationship with us. God can take it when that relationship is strained by our anger and blame. What God cannot stand is our indifference. We push God away when we choose to ignore him. Yancey suggests living each day as an offering to God - something that we present to God as a gift. While we may begin doing this because it is the right thing to do, the time will come when we do it out of love and because we want to. God gave us the freedom to accept or reject him. In choosing God, we choose to trust in the relationship in both good times and bad.

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