I Am

When God appears to Moses in a burning bush, God refers to Godself as “I am” (Exodus 3:14). In Hebrew, the word “Ehyeh” (I am) and “Yahweh” come from the same root word, “Hayah”, which essentially means to exist. When God refers to Godself, it’s never about assigning a label, it is about describing God’s nature. God is existence itself.

If God is “I am,” then there really is no such thing as an atheist, there is only misunderstanding, miscommunication, or lack of language to articulate who and what God is. God exists because there is existence. It is helpful to learn about what humans have thought about God for 6000 years, but even the Bible does not capture the fullness of God. The Bible is a window, but there are other windows to see God.

For example, when I look up at the stars, particularly through a telescope. We can learn extraordinary things about God by studying the complex mysteries of the universe. As science advances, we don’t learn less about God, we learn more! The more intently we look at the universe, the more exquisite God’s creation becomes.

The grandeur and infiniteness of the universe is meant to help us understand what God is like. God is incomprehensible, never fully known, and bound by nothing. The ancient writers may not have been aware of the scientific specificities, but they knew the deeper truth. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2).

When God declares “I am,” God is also positioning us as humans. Though we are a beautiful part of God’s creation, we are not gods. We may advance, but our knowledge will never be enough; it never can be. God is infinite. The next time you look up at the night sky, for feel moved by the beauty of God’s wonderous creation, the best response might be to simply say, “You Are.”

In awe,

Pastor Lucas

Photo by Greg Rakozy