Moses gets a glimpse of God in this week’s lesson from the Hebrew testament. I love that image because it seems that’s how we may perceive God in our own lives today—through the glimpses of the Divine that catch our attention. The Holy One desires to reveal Godself to us but knows our finite minds can’t begin to grasp the infiniteness of God. As with Moses, the Divine One shields us from the awesome glory of the Holy Presence that is too much for us to bear but allows glimpses to shine through into our awareness. Moses was in the cleft of the rock in the wilderness (Christians considered the Rock that accompanied the children of Israel through the wilderness as the Christ of God. I Cor.10:4) when he glimpsed the glory of God passing by. Pause for a moment and think about where you most often notice seeing a glimpse of God. Like Moses, a lot of us get a glimpse of God in creation—standing on a mountain crest or walking beside the sea, relishing a sunrise or sunset, hearing the wind in the trees, or noticing the activities of the creatures around us: butterflies or pelicans, dolphins or turtles, squirrels or raccoons, our own precious pets, for example. Sometimes we may glimpse God in our relationships with others: as we cuddle a tiny baby, or hear the giggle of playing children, or experience the kindness of a stranger, or are reconciled with a long lost friend, or are greeted with a smile in a room full of strangers, or get a hug just when we need it. Oftentimes, I may get a glimpse of God as I notice Divine Providence working in my life, providing just the right book when I need it to deepen my spiritual journey, sending an invitation to a spiritual event that seems to have my name on it, closing the door to some attractive opportunity that would lead me off track, offering synchronicity, meaningful coincidences, to get my attention and point the way. I may get a glimpse of God from icons. A friend gave me a book of Marian icons for my birthday, and I have been focusing on one each week since then. During my meditations, I have been delighted with the glimpses of God that have come my way.

There is no limit to where we may espy a glimpse of God is we remain alert. The glimpses come and go as they briefly capture our awareness, as our hearts are ready to experience the presence of God. They come to reveal God’s love to us and draw us ever deeper into God’s encompassing presence.