In the Jesus’ story we see God as human encountering people personally and dramatically. In doing so, Jesus communicates who God is and what he is like. He encounters one person revealing God as the holy one. He encounters another opening his compassionate heart. He encounters still another demonstrating God’s awesome power.

We are inclined to put these qualities into separate boxes so that they may even be in tension with one another. We put the justice of the Lord in one box and his mercy in another. We may distinguish these qualities from each other, but they must never be separated. His justice is merciful and his mercy is just. His love is holy love. His power is compassionate power. He is the One God who communicates his varied qualities as the one who IS Love. And these varied expressions of Love are opened to us through the One Lord Jesus in his one Spirit.

As we indwell the drama attentive to the One God, he encounters us personally in his Spirit. And we find ourselves standing in the presence of this living Lord. In this way, he opens himself to us in all the richness of his own personal qualities in ongoing personal encounters. So to know him is to know him again and again in ever new ways. For each encounter in the Spirit is new in its own way. And he encounters us again and again in the wealth of his ways simply because he wants to be with us opening himself to us .