It is entirely possible to miss what is happening right in front of us. The hurried pace that we keep in the West enables a life of constant distraction: too many signals, too much stimulus, and a decreased capacity to see and respond. It is tragic how often we wander through life, wondering where God is, what He is up to, and what He wants to say to us. The practice of paying attention is a neglected art.
Moses was a shepherd, leading a group of wandering sheep when God got his attention. True, Moses saw something out of the ordinary, but it was his willingness to turn aside that prompted God’s revelation. Exodus 3:4 says, “When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush”. There is a direct connection between our willingness to pay attention and God’s willingness to speak and reveal.
Ruth Haley Barton, in her book “Strengthening the Soul of Leadership”, writes: “If spiritual leadership is anything, it is the capacity to see the bush burning in the middle of our own life and having enough sense to turn aside, take off our shoes and pay attention.” I would suggest that this practice of paying attention is not reserved for leaders alone; this is a function of what it means to be followers of Jesus. We are to cultivate a responsiveness to God.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote,
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
and every common bush afire with God;
but only he who sees, takes off his shoes--
the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.
These days, Jesus has been reminding me that following Him requires an attentiveness, a responsiveness, that cannot be cultivated without a commitment to quiet places. Running a hundred kilometers an hour isn’t conducive to paying attention to much of anything. As I slow down these days, and settle into rhythms of rest and solitude I am finding that there are bushes ablaze all around me, as well as words from Jesus that are burning within.
May God give us eyes to see, and hearts eager to respond.
