Then God said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
There is some debate about how we encounter God and who it is that God comes to. Does God come to a few based on some unique gifts and special criteria? Or does God come to all of us and simply gets noticed by whoever is paying attention?
Moses met God in the familiar story of the burning bush. God declared that it was holy ground on which Moses was standing. This encounter would be Moses’ call to leadership, the start of the Exodus, and the beginning of Israel as a covenant people. A lot was riding on Moses’ response! And Moses answered the call and amazing things happened as a result.
Perhaps there are times when God is looking for “just the right person.” The task is big, specific and only a few people could pull it off. But much of life is not that way at all. In our community the questions are related to feeding the poor, improving health care access, working with kids who need assistance in school, accompanying people as they age, and the list goes on and on and on. God cares about and is pressing people to rise up and be involved in all of these and more.
So sometimes the call from God is specific and focused. But at other times, perhaps all the time, the call of God is broad and wide. God asks, “Will you join me in the inbreaking of the reign of God?” And all who say “yes” find their lives taking on new meaning and making an impact in ways that only saying “yes” to God can provide.
