Two questions…
Is it important for us to see God? I would say so. We are called to follow him, to worship him, and to know him. Our world is full of suffering, confusion and evil that would be greatly alleviated if people would catch a glimpse of God.
Is it possible for us to see God? My first answer is yes. Jesus promised, “blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). But I have been studying this other verse that says, “No one has ever seen God” (1 John 4:12). This strikes me as a problem. A problem that is foundational to all the other problems we experience. We need to see God.
1 John 4:12 doesn’t leave us with the daunting problem that “no one has ever seen God”. It points us to an incredible solution when it says, “if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
Scripture teaches the principle that in the actions of love we see God. I call character though community. God’s character can be revealed through loving community.