C.S. Lewis, in “Letters to Malcolm Chiefly on Prayer” writes, “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with God. God walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labor is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake.”
God is with us, incognito, as Lewis writes. But oh, when the veil is lifted and a portion of the glory of God’s presence is revealed to some … what happens then? There is no mistaking that something extraordinary has happened and there is indeed an awakening.
Some call this moment of revelation a "Thin Place". I have a dear friend who calls such a time a "Heaven-Touching-Earth moment." For me, I refer to this as a "God-Moment". There are no words to adequately give name to the moment when the Divine Veil has been lifted in a person’s presence. The radiance, the glory, God’s presence and our deep desire to put an experience such as this into immediate words all cause some stammering on our part. There is even confusion as to what has taken place. It is then when a holy finger presses against our lips and we hear, "Shhhh … This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" And so, the Divine Veil is lifted if only for a moment. The Holy is so radiant that we could easily be blinded yet, in such a Heaven-Touching-Earth moment, there is tremendous love. "Shhhh … Listen! Listen to him first before finding your own words."
What words does one choose to describe such a holy moment as this? As I read the Scriptures, I wonder such things. If I had been one of the chosen disciples, how long would I have kept silent? What words would have finally fallen into place to bear witness to something so holy as the Glory of God radiating from the face of Jesus, enveloping his whole being? Are there words to describe the intensity of brilliance that had to be tempered by clouds? And what about hearing the voice of God? After my trembling had stopped, after brushing myself off, after stumbling down the mountain and back into my surroundings, what words would form on my lips? What words would you have shared?
For those who have recognized a time when the Most Holy has chosen such a moment of revelation, there seems to be a quietness about the experience for a period of time. Something so amazing, so intimate, so private is beyond our words. But there must be a reason for such a ‘mountaintop’ experience. There must be a reason to find oneself in the presence of God Almighty, knocked face down by such Holiness. Perhaps it is so that our hearts might hear "This is my Son, whom I love, with whom I am well pleased. SHHH … LISTEN TO HIM!" It is the voice of the Most Holy that beckons us to believe in and listen to Jesus in a renewed way.
Soon we will begin our Lenten journey. Perhaps our prayers might be that God awakens us in the journey and reveals a portion of this Glory to us that brings us to our knees in wonderment. Do we have the courage for such a prayer? This moment between God’s revelation and our words is a good beginning to our Lenten journey for it does take courage when we find ourselves resolutely setting our sights on Jerusalem with Jesus. It takes courage to stand at the foot of the cross. And, yes, we will need to remember the words, “This is my Son” as we peer into the empty tomb. All along the way, we will find ourselves in the presence of the Most Holy. Shhh… Listen! This IS God’s Son, the Beloved, the Chosen.
Transforming and Holy God … The glory of your presence is much too brilliant for our stammering words to make sense in telling others. We find ourselves face down in awe and yet these moments truly do become our faith story. With great love, you have whispered "Shhh… Listen." With tremendous love, Jesus lifts us up and veils your holy radiance once more so that we might keep our eyes upon him. And with unimaginable love, your Son walks to the cross. O God, awaken us. Help us see your presence with a brilliance that is unmistakable. Be with us in our silence as we soon prepare to step out on our Lenten journey. Form our sentences in your most perfect of timing, sending us out to tell what we have seen as truth. Give us blessed eyes to see your Holy Presence around us and a renewed understanding of what you would have us tell others. Amen.
