This Sunday’s readings are all about seeing God’s face – both the impossibility of it, and the fact that God is visible everywhere.

When Moses encounters God upon Mount Sinai, his face becomes shining, to the extent that his fellow Israelites are afraid of him and he has to veil his face. When Jesus is transfigured upon the mountain in the presence of his disciples, they too are afraid and don’t quite know what to do with themselves. There is something about seeing the presence of God, unveiled, which is almost overwhelming for us mere humans.

More than once in the Bible, it says that no one can see the face of God and live. Yet the Bible is also full of encounters with God, many of which would appear to be face-to-face. The New Testament also encourages us to see the face of God – the face of Christ – in the face of all those we meet. Indeed, in Jesus, we really do look upon the face of God, both literally and metaphorically, as he becomes one with us. God is both ordinary and close, and exalted and far away. He is incarnated and with us upon earth, and yet also dwells in heaven and fills the whole universe with his presence.

Sadly, Christianity is often presented as an either/or when in reality I think it would be truer to say it is both/and. We are constantly asked to hold in tension things which would seem to be, on the face of it, impossible. And yet our lived experience tells us that both can be true and indeed are true. For example, we trust in the goodness of God, even as we stumble our way through the pain and agony of this world.

Sometimes in and amongst the dust and dirt of ordinary life, we encounter people who seem to shine with the presence of God. It’s often said of saints or, in our modern world, monks or nuns. To be with them is to feel a sense of calm, of the holy, of something which is not generally found in the hustle and bustle of life. There is something which witnesses to a deep peace and stillness within, and we have a sense that we are in the presence of God. Sometimes this can be quite unsettling even as it is deeply attractive and draws in. Which of us, after all, does not long for deep inner peace?

For most of us, this is something which is only found in quiet times of prayer, perhaps at holy communion. Others are blessed to have it all the time. One day we will all have it, and an abundance! But until then, let us enjoy and celebrate those moments when we do encounter the face of God in one another, or in the incredible beauty and abundance of nature. Yes, it can be unsettling, and sometimes we don’t quite know what to do with ourselves. But rather than being afraid, let us encounter this shining Presence as a friend, and know that we are welcomed, and that we are loved, and that there is nothing that we need fear in the presence of God our heavenly Father.

Revd. Talisker

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash