All I have to do is abide

Chiam Potok is a wonderful Jewish author.  In one of his books he offers a lyrical description of Kabod.

A quality of holiness, a quality of power

A quality of fearfulness, a quality of sublimity

A quality of trembling, a quality of shaking

A quality of terror, a quality of consternation

God of Israel

Who comes crowned to the Throne of His Glory

And of no creature are the eyes able to behold it. . .

Kabod.  Totally, Holy other.  

 It is hard to feel connected to something transcendent, infinite.  

and yet

when it comes to the sacred

we are told to "abide"

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Abide?

Are you kidding God?

You aren't exactly easy to get close to

How do I picture you?

As a giant other?   Someone, something 

vaguely like tapioca pudding?  

Or some old

white bearded guy

 in a white robe 

with a lightning bolt?

God

you

the infinite one are hard to connect to.  

 But there is another side to you God...  the immanent.  

If transcendence is the infinite You
Oh God
 Immanence is the intimate You

I love Oh God, your greatness
I love it God that you are
BIG
really really BIG
(I am really quite impressed)

But I also love the fact
that you are intimate
That you are present 
That I can “experience” you

I love the paradox of
God in me

I love God as present
in the cat who rubs against my feet
in the beauty of
black eyed Susan's

I love the fact that 
all I have to do
when I need you
is close my eyes
and reach out my hand
spiritually speaking

and
you
are 
there