God Breaks In

Abraham heard God call him to leave where he was and go wherever God led.

Isaac saw an angel of God keep his father from sacrificing him – something he probably wanted to but could never forget.

Jacob had a vision of angels ascending and descending a stairway leading to heaven.  Later he wrestled an angel all through the night.

Joseph had some dreams that rivaled anything some particular varieties of mushrooms could induce.

Moses heard God speak through a burning bush, and that was just the beginning for him.

Joshua witnessed God do incredible feats, and met God’s angel outside of Jericho to get his marching orders.

Gideon used a fleece to make sure God was behind the crazy military strategy that was breaking into his mind.

Samuel heard God call him at a very early age.

David experienced God’s anointing through Samuel.

Elijah saw God pull off incredible feats, expected to hear him in the thunder and lightning, but heard him in a still, small voice instead.  He left the earth in grand fashion: a chariot of fire.

Jesus heard God call him “son” at his baptism through a vision of a dove.

Paul heard Jesus – post ascension – in a blinding light that changed his vision of the world.

John caught a glimpse of Jesus in perhaps his truest light while on Alcatraz (Patmos).

God broke into the reality of people in the past in a multitude of ways.  And God still does.

Sometimes I wonder if God is much more present than we’ve allowed ourselves to realize.  I wonder if we have preconceived notions about how God interacts with humanity that block our capacity to see anything different.

Actually, I wonder if we do not expect God to break in at all, except with a warm fuzzy feeling on occasion.  Could it be that we have pared down our relationship with God to mental ascent – that faith is just a mental thing, a decision that stays buried in our heart but doesn’t interrupt our day, let alone our lives. 

May you choose to open your eyes, ears, mind and heart to God’s presence each day.  May you say yes to the invitation to follow that will lead to redemption for you and those you influence.  What story will you share when asked how God breaks into a person’s life?

“As autonomous subjects we have closed ourselves off to the calling of the [God], and it is in this sense that we have banished [God].  Nobody seems to have noticed this.  Martin Buber talks about the eclipse of God, Beckett about how we are waiting for God to return.  Others talk about God’s absence, withdrawal, or death.  But the picture we are offering turns on its head the traditional twentieth-century narrative.  [God has] not withdrawn or abandoned us, we have kicked [God] out.  [God is] waiting plaintively for use to hear [God’s] call.  Ask not why [God has] abandoned you, but why you have abandoned [God].”  - Dreyfus and Kelly, All Things Shining