Reflection for June 19

Formative Moments

As a child I was particularly drawn by the tales of the Israelites in the desert, the images of the pillars of cloud and of fire. I was appalled at the people’s persistent rejection of God, little knowing that as an adult I would come to know this condition well. Jesus seemed OK, but I much preferred the narrative punch of the Old Testament.... It seems that I am always returning to the origins of my faith, the inexhaustible stories of scripture and the poetic imagery of the Psalms. I need a God who created whales to play with and makes hills leap for joy, a God who calls each star by its name. I need those resonances, images and metaphors that, like God, are beyond my understanding. They speak to me in a way that nothing else can (Kathleen Norris, in The Christian Century, February 22, 2011).