God Dwells With Us

Homily for Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Much of the Book of Exodus is taken up with the dual themes of the journey motif and the trysting motif. Not only do the children of Israel find themselves wandering through the desert, the desert has become the meeting place for God and the people. God woos them through both self-revelation and the covenant.

Central to these two themes is the meeting tent. The passage that we read today concerns itself with that particular facet of God’s relationship with the people and the journey theme. As they move through the desert toward their goal, God goes with them. When God decides that it is time to halt the journey, the glory of God descends upon the meeting tent which is established just outside of camp. Anyone wishing to consult God does so in the tent. The familiar pillar of cloud and of fire are used to identify God’s presence in the tent. The tablets of the law, which are a commemoration of the covenant struck by God with the people, are placed within the ark of the covenant which is then placed in the meeting tent.

There is no question that the Israelites are on a physical, taxing journey. At the same time, God engages them in a spiritual journey as well. The Israelites leave Egypt to escape slavery, searching for a home and freedom.  The trip begins with exuberance, but like any significant change, the reality of stepping into the unknown challenges their resolve.  They fear death at the hands of the pharaoh’s soldiers.  They worry about starving or dying of thirst and complain about their struggles.  They long to return to the comforts of Egypt as if forgetting the burdens of slavery.  They question their decision to follow God and Moses.  However, the presence of the in-dwelling of God with them confirms that they have chosen the right path.

We also are on a journey through the desert, for the desert is a metaphor for our lives. We, like the children of Israel, are searching for a home and for freedom. We know that our final home lies before us, but we also know that we will struggle with the challenges that come our way. We will also fall and fail as we make our way to our eternal life with God. There may be periods of doubt. We fear what the diminishment of our bodies will visit upon us. However, God is present, just as with the Israelites. God does dwell within the church and each individual within that church. When we find ourselves ready to give up on the journey, God will ask us to stop and consider how we choose to deal with those difficulties.

God is with us. We call him Emmanuel, God with the people. He lives within our souls as well as in the tabernacle in our meeting tent. With this realization, we know that we will make the right choices and follow the right path to our destination.