THE SCHOOL OF THE DESERT “One day ... Moses ... led the flock across the desert and came to Sinai, the holy mountain”. Ex 3:1 GNB People who live in cities often find that the noise and rush of city life make it difficult to maintain a life of communion with God. And the percentage of people living in cities is constantly rising. However, not all people who live in the country would say that it is easy to find God there, either. Starting out as a fugitive from the law, Moses remained in the desert for some time. The stillness and silence there was conducive to meditation and reflection, prayer and communion with God. This led him to think more than before - about himself, about his people and about God. “Silence and stillness of the heart are great teachers if we only would listen to them: ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Ps 46:10). Far away from the din and turbulence of the great cities, the tinsel of material things loses its glamour; the world of people and affairs is viewed in a different light. The heart is not swollen with pride or ambition where it breathes the pure air of God’s loving presence. More and more clearly as time passes the ‘still small voice’ (1 Kings 19:13) of the Lord is heard in a heart where the emotions have found their true balance and one responds gently to the invitation ‘Come unto Me ... I will give you rest’ (Matt 11:28). (F. Hogan, Words of Life from Exodus p39). Few people will be able to retreat into the countryside nowadays. But it is just as essential to carve out time and space to meet with Christ and to be renewed at depth by His Spirit. PRAYER THOUGHT Lord, help me to walk and talk with You.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:29:02 +0000