The Presence

by Kyle Wiseley

Since pondering the powerful reading from the 40th chapter of Isaiah which was included among last Sunday’s lectionary, I have been focusing on our collectively perceived greatness of God, particularly as articulated by the prophet Isaiah in the fortieth chapter of his book. In it he describes many aspects of the Divine: as warrior God who overcomes his enemies with great power; as a gentle, pastoral God who feeds his sheep like a shepherd and carries the weak in his arms; and as an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-conquering God who completely rules the earth without fear of contradiction.

We frail humans speak so often and so assuredly about God as if we could know God in all God’s myriad aspects. Frequently we speak arrogantly as if we have the answers all figured out and further questioning would be futile. We structure theological principles and church dogma and canon law on the self assurance that we know the REAL answers, that we have found the ultimate Truth, and operate on the principle that from henceforth the institutional church must move forward along only the path that we have discerned with no opportunity for the Spirit to reveal new realities and concepts. From observation and study of past history I find a much more open and humble perception of God and God’s will for humanity and several years ago, after a pilgrimage to holy places in Europe, I expressed it thus:

THE PRESENCE

A lifetime of temples:

Small, wood-framed country churches

And vast stone cathedrals

And far too many artless boxes

Evoking narrowness, judgment and fear;

And one day in Switzerland

Exploring more churches

Than I could ever have thought possible

In such a short excursion,

(All Catholic, for my host and guide

Was a Catholic priest).

But at the last all structure melts

And dogma sinks to silence,

The all-pervading ether

Being the only temple adequate

To embrace the whole of You.