Direct Encounters with God

When we see God, we are changed. It has always been so. God appeared to Abraham as a traveler. Through that encounter Abraham was prepared to push back against divine wrath. God appeared to Moses in the desert at the burning bush. Moses went on to become the spokesperson for a bunch of immigrants in their confrontation with the most powerful ruler in the world. The Hebrew prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, went from transforming encounters with God to bold confrontations with the powerful and privileged of their nation. The prophets consistently championed poor people and justice. In modern times, too, God steps into people’s lives. These divine-human encounters leave people in a more humble, happy place. They prepare us for the purest service. Let us make space in our lives for meditating on the glorious goodness of God. Let’s practice looking for the presence of God in ordinary places and unremarkable people.