We cannot "go up" to God. He must "come down" to us -- and this He has done in the Incarnation. In the words of John, He had "pitched His tent and dwelt among us." He has taken on flesh, that we might touch Him with our hands, see Him with our eyes, and speak with Him face to face, as a man with his friend.
Ancient religions, and even some modern ones, could only delineate man's relationship to the Divine as slave and servant. But this is not the relationship God desires; it is not what He created us for. He created sons and daughters, men and women in His Image -- those with whom He could walk in the garden and speak in the cool of the evening. He wanted men like David, "a man after [His] own heart."
Our religion, whatever denomination or species, is supposed to create the space in our lives where we come face to face with the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit. The practice of religion is not to make us feel righteous (for doing the works of the law, for example), but rather to turn us from everyday tasks and routines -- to make space for a conversation, for a relationship.
The word "Sabbath" means "stopping." We cannot continue to gather manna on the Sabbath; it is rather a day to stop and enjoy what we have gathered the day before -- to feast, to reflect, to praise, to laugh, to renew relationships with God and with those we love.
As I grow older, I look back on all the things in my life I wish I had done differently -- and one of my biggest regrets is that I was so busy every day that I did not make space for love and laughter. On Saturday, I caught up on cooking and cleaning; on Sunday, I graded papers and prepared lessons for the week ahead. I was a good teacher, because I put reflection time into it; I was not such a good mother because I failed to create space for enjoying my children: for picnics, for walks, for fun and relaxation together. I realize now that "family" does not just happen because people live in the same house and eat the same meals. We need to make space for one another in our hearts and minds; we need to be "friends" as well as family.
The same is true of "religion." It is not enough to "do the right things" -- going to church, obeying the laws, etc., if these things do not allow us to create space to enjoy the Presence and Person of God. We need to relax in God's Presence, as well as go to church. We need to know God 'face to face,' as a man knows his friend. We need to know the heart of God, as well as His mind -- and that means spending time with Him.
James tells us, "Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you." One of the ways I have learned to do this is to picture the image of the Most Holy Trinity painted by Rublev:
I have written before about this image, so I will skip the description for now. But I imagine myself as accepting the invitation to "sit down at the Table of the Lord." There I can freely enter into conversation with the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit. There, since the Holy Trinity has created space for me, I can create space for the Divine Persons. Despite my sinfulness, I know myself to be accepted as daughter of the Father, as "friend and companion" of the Son, and as spouse of the Holy Spirit, as was Mary. He is free to create in me all that the Father and the Son desire of beauty and worthiness. He is free to re-arrange the furniture of my heart and mind to make space for the Divine Presence. He is free to open my eyes and ears to the things of God and to turn me away from the business and busyness of earthly things. Religion is supposed to prepare us to enjoy the eternal relationships of heaven -- fellowship with the Divine Persons and with one another. But on earth, we need to create the space for these relationships if we are to enjoy them forever in heaven. And our Sabbaths are a great place to begin to learn love and laughter.
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