As a Christ-follower, I see God and His influence everywhere. Anything that's true and beautiful is a reflection of Him, of His character. I see God in the way a father patiently teaches a child, the way a mother soothes a wound. In the natural world around me. I'm not being heretical or saying God is in all things, I'm saying that the reason we know beauty and goodness exist is because God is good and exudes beauty. True beauty and truth is a reflection of Him and has it's basis in Him.
This strikes me most when I see it in literature, movies, and songs. Especially when it isn't the author's intent. For example, there is a Superman story called 'Last Son' written by Geoff Johns. You can read a synopsis of it here or you can buy it here. Basically, Superman and Lois can't have kids (because he's an alien, not human) and he and Lois find a Kryptonian boy whom they adopt and call Chris. Then some bad guys come and there is some fighting and they send all the bad guys back to the Phantom Zone through a portal. But the portal won't close, because the portal is staying open for Chris. In order to save the world, Chris has to fly back into this horrible alternate dimension filled with bad guys. Superman begs him not to go, but Chris does, because he's Superman's son, and that's what Superman would do. I see Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Maybe I'm crazy.
I've been listening to Mumford & Sons a lot recently and: 1) they are good and 2) I hear God in these songs. I'm not saying they are Christians, or that you should buy their album. One of their songs has the f-bomb in it. That could be cause they are British, or it could be because they are they are jerks and d-bags. I don't know anything about that. But read these lyrics:
"Love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, It will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be. There is a design, an alignment to cry, at my heart you see, the beauty of love as it was made to be." -Sigh No More
"I will hold on hope and I won't let you choke on the noose around your neck. And I'll find strength in pain and I will change my ways I'll know my name as it's called again... Now let me at the truth which will refresh my broken mind. So tie me to a post and block my ears, I can see widows and orphans through my tears, I know my call despite my faults and despite my growing fears. So come out of your cave walking on your hands and see the world hanging upside down, you can understand dependence when you know the maker's hand. Cause I need freedom now, and I need to know how to live my life as it's meant to be." - The Cave
"In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life. Awake my soul, awake my soul, awake my soul. You were made to meet your maker." - Awake Your Soul
"Corrupted by the simple sniff of riches blow, I know you have felt much more love than you've shown, and I'm on my knees and the water creeps to my chest. I begged you to hear me, there's more than flesh and bones. Let the dead bury the dead, they will come out in droves. But take the spade from my hands and fill in the holes."-Thistle and Weeds
If you seek God, you will find Him. If you know His voice, you'll hear His cry. If you know His story, you will see it played out around you. As a picture is not a person, these things are not Him. Just flickering shades, pale imitations of the true immeasurable person of God. Who loves you and died for you. So that you may know Him and make Him known.
