Surface involvement

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today relate a history of the inability of humanity to go deeply into spiritual experience as contemplate what the indwelling Spirit senses of Divine Presence. The Book of Exodus recounts the fickle and “stiff-necked” people like ourselves who return to our idols even in the face of evidence, experience and witness of Providence which in Exodus is exercised in the actions of Moses. The psalmist praises Moses stepping into the breach and in dialogue with the Divine obtaining the insight that God would remain true to the Covenant and would call the people back to intimacy. John relates Jesus presentation of the witnesses or truth which is revealed about His Divinity. The ‘stiff-necked” continue to inhibit the response of the indwelling Spirit to the Presence.