God said, “Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

God said this to Moses as he approached the burning bush, which he saw at the foot of Mount Sinai. In her poem “Aurora Leigh,” Elizabeth Barrett Browning has an interesting thought for us: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.” Regarding this bush, the rabbis of old tell us that others passed by the bush while it was burning, but only Moses turned aside.

Maybe turning aside to see is the real miracle of this story. The burning bush is a part of each of our lives. Perhaps the only question is whether we will turn aside. What if every burning bush is a call asking for and awaiting a response from us? There are burning bushes in each of our lives, throughout our lives. The only question is whether we will turn aside and respond to the call being made upon us.

The burning bush experience occurs amid life, as we tend to our flocks. That’s what Moses was doing when this happened: keeping the flock of his father-in-law. He was doing the ordinary routine things of his life, the same things he did the day before, the week before, and the month before. Burning bushes appear as we navigate our routines and everyday life, encompassing marriage, parenting, work, friendships, errands, church, reading the news, and household tasks.

The burning bush story is one of call and response. Something is being called for in the name of God. And I can’t help but believe that call and response is also the story of our lives.

What have been the burning bushes for you?

Let Us Pray:

O God, how many times do you call to me in the course of my life, but I am too busy to notice? Help me to be more aware of the burning bushes in my life and guide me to respond to your call.