A breath from the mountain of God

I have always been drawn to Moses. Not because of the miracles that were performed through him, nor because of his position as the leader of a burgeoning nation, but for one thing: in Exodus, it is written,

‘the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.‘

Exodus 33:11

And I longed for that, to know God like that.

But how is that to happen? How does one become like that? And is that even possible? Perhaps Moses was an exceptional case, called for a specific time and place. He had a colossal calling; a role that so far outshines my life the comparison is laughable. So is this longing even legitimate? Perhaps such a relationship with God is only for those rare individuals who hold positions like Moses.

But maybe, just maybe, it is not. Perhaps we have each been made to know God like this, to relate to God like this.

It seems to me that there are fleeting moments in this life where it is as if a curtain is momentarily drawn back, and we feel the breath of God on our face. We smell a sweet fragrance that is so enticing, so evocative, and yet so foreign. It is in those moments that we hear the call of God, whether we recognise it as that or not.

For me, one of the first such moments, at least that I remember clearly, was when I was a young teenager. I was walking through some bush on my way to school when I tripped, not so that I hurt myself just so that I awkwardly regained my balance. And as I did, I heard God laugh. It was as if I felt the pleasure and humour of God in that moment of silly unbalance. And I suddenly saw God as someone who loved to laugh. Who laughed at the silly things his people did. Who infinitely enjoyed their eccentricities and who delighted not just in their moments of grandeur but who loved his children so much that he laughed when they did something silly. And I was warmed as I realised that I could make God laugh. And my laughter rang out as I echoed his.

This, to me, produced a profound shift in my understanding of who God was. I do not think prior to this, I would ever have described God as having a sense of humour. No, He was undoubtedly far too sombre and severe for such frivolity.

Maybe part of the journey is awakening to moments such as these? And then to reflect on them. To dwell on them. To let them shape our understanding of God and ourselves.

O Lord, our God, may you awaken us to you. Give us eyes to see you and ears to hear you. May we feel your breath on our faces. May we hear your call. And may we be transformed by those moments. Amen

So how about you? Have you at times felt the breath of God on your face? Who in the Bible are you drawn to? And why?

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