Become New with John Ortberg Episode 29 - When God Clears His Throat
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Mar 29, 2021 Reflections on how beauty and ordinary moments can reveal the divine. A playful image of God 'clearing his throat' explains why the sacred is often subtle. Conversations about freedom, choice, and why clarity is limited. Personal stories and practical prompts invite paying attention to small signals and living fully in the present.
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God Clears His Throat Not Shouts
- God often reveals himself subtly rather than overtly, preserving human freedom to choose.
- Ortberg frames this as God 'clearing his throat'—small signs in beauty, pain, and connection that invite response without coercion.
Beauty As Goodness Made Tangible
- Beauty acts as evidence of goodness and God's reality because it bypasses defenses and points to transcendent meaning.
- Ortberg defines beauty as 'goodness made manifest to the senses' that opens us to divine presence.
Enough Light For Seekers Enough Darkness For Rejectors
- Pascal's idea: God offers varying degrees of revealedness so those who seek can find while others retain freedom to reject.
- Ortberg quotes Pascal: enough light for seekers and enough darkness for the contrary disposition.