Rachel Fitch, Pastoral Resident
As I sat at the dining room table, wondering what to write, I saw a sketch sitting there. It reminded me of a passage I read a few weeks ago that continues to come to mind, one that I continue to wonder over, particularly in this Lenten season.
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world and all who dwell therein.
For it is he who founded it upon the seas
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
‘Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?
and who can stand in his holy place?’
‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.
They shall receive a blessing from the Lord
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.’
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.”
Psalm 24:1-6
I would love to hear what verse or words speak to you. For me, verse 6 keeps coming to mind. ‘Such is the generation of those who seek him, of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.’ Sometimes as I read Scripture, I like to sit with it, praying over it, pondering it, and seeing what images come to mind. Sometimes these images help me to see the Scripture differently or simply to hold onto it in my memory in a different way. When I think about ‘seeking the face of God’ I cannot help but imagine a small child. A small child that Jesus would have called to, saying ‘let the little children come to me.’ I cannot help but think of the way that babies and little children, without worry (or concern for your eyeballs), will touch the contours of your face. Their way of seeking and knowing is so tactile, intimate, and present.
Thinking about childhood development, of which I know very little, I’ve observed that the tactile ‘seeking’ slowly changes. Perhaps — and this is a good thing — it is a realization and a learning of personal space. Perhaps it is a distraction by all else in the world. Perhaps it is a learned separation. Either way, as I think of this verse, I cannot help but think of that sense of wonder, that tactile seeking as a child comes close to one’s face.
What does it look like to ‘seek the face of God’? Does God not yearn for a deep relationship with us? Does God not yearn for us to not be distracted, but to “glorify God and enjoy him forever”? Does God not yearn for us to draw near, to see that we can come to God at any time with anything, to see that our every breath comes from God?
It seems simple – just as simple as a child feeling the face of a loved one. Yet, I fail every day. Too often our world does not direct our attention to God, and too often my mind wanders with the world. My hope and prayer this Lenten season, for myself and for you, is that we might, day by day, ‘seek the face of God,’ who has been revealed to us in Jesus (Hebrews 1:3). Might we continue to try a new spiritual practice or pick up an old one. Might we continue to draw near to and seek our Heavenly Father, who knows each of us, who loves us, and who walks with us in each step. For ‘the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and all who dwell therein.’
