Being There

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty…The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness.” (Psalm 29:4, 7-8, NRSV).

We are often saying to someone, with the hope that they will feel our support and presence in their time of grave need, “I will be there for you.” We have also said, in effect concerning someone who has meant much to us, helped us through troubles, encouraged, uplifted or inspired us, “He/she was always there for me.”

Today I would like to propose another aspect of “being there” that came as a reminder to me as I read a book by Chris Webb entitled The Fire of the Word: Meeting God on Holy Ground (Downer’s Grove, Il: Intervarsity Press, c2011). Using the technique suggested by Ignatius of Loyola, Webb invites us when we read a passage of scripture to imagine the scene as clearly as possible and allow oneself to be drawn into it—the place, the sights, the sounds, the touch. Pay attention to the details; “be there”. Then allow yourself to be a participant. What is your reaction? What is God saying to you personally in this passage? What would you say and do as a result of “being there”? Chris Webb states: “Over time, you will learn the art of being ever more attentive to God in Scripture” (p. 123).

Imagine what it was like when Moses encountered the burning bush on Mt. Horeb in the desert of Midian (Exodus 3 and 4:1-17). Moses was going about his tasks of minding his father-in-law Jethro’s flock on ‘the west side of the wilderness.’ See it: some grassland there for the flock to feed upon, but no other human being was around. Who knows? Maybe Moses was thinking about his people in Egyptian bondage and that he had killed an Egyptian taskmaster and fled the country for his life, even though he had been reared by Pharaoh’s daughter. Then in that quiet place, God spoke to Moses from the burning bush. What an amazed, astonished Moses took notice and listened. The Psalmist, in our focal verses for today, seems to recall vividly that pivotal event in Moses’ life.

Our “burning bush” experience is not likely to be as spectacular, but God wants us to “be there,” to draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us! And as with Moses—and so many others since—God wants to “be there” to speak to us individually and clearly. Moses offered excuses before he finally relented, went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked his permission to return to Egypt. From tending sheep to freeing an enslaved people and leading them; what an about-face for Moses! His obedience to the call of God stemmed from “being there” to hear and obey God. Our task, too, is to “be there,” to listen, to respond, to heed. May we be aware and obedient! –Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.14.2014.