It's Like Breathing

 I found myself asleep again today during my 20 minutes of centering prayer. I had spent some time exercising in the morning and before I started on my will-this-thing-ever-be-finished project, I opted to engage in my current Lenten prayer practice. 

The book which sort-of guides me in this process has a couple of pages of text and then a mantra to use while praying and a select scripture passage for lectio divina. I say "sort-of guides" me because it has forty days of entries and I read the 7th one today. Clearly, I'm not on track.

The entry I read today talked about the interaction of Moses with God at the burning bush, but specifically the name of God. The writer discussed how God used the first person singular of the verb "to be" to name God's person, "Ehyeh," I AM. In the writer's interpretation, he says in pronouncing the word, one breathes - In on "eh" and out on "yeh," and then he goes one step further. He suggests the name of God correlates with the sound of breathing. By taking in a breath through the mouth, we verbalize "eh," and as we breath out, with mouth open, we verbalize "yeh." 

Without even recognizing it, we "say" God's name with every breath - as if it is a constant reminder of God being with us, in us, outside of us, all around us. We do not escape God. "Bidden or unbidden God is here," was reportedly posted in Carl Jung's office - and if we take this idea of "Eh - yeh" to heart (and add in a creation story), the breath of God which first enlivened humankind is actually "I AM" moving in and out of us - all of us - to this day. 

The idea has implications for praying without ceasing as well, but we spring-forward tonight, so no additional chasing this line of thought.

Interestingly enough, the name of God changes to the third person singular masculine form of the verb since naming something implies power over it - but seriously, God gave the name to Moses in the first place. We didn't name God, God named God and then told us about it. If God didn't want the name used, why give it? And, of course, by giving God the 3rd person masculine form, one immediately says something about gender dynamics and power structures. 

Going back to Genesis, "Then God said, “Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” Notice the third person plural? The term for God in the Hebrew there is a plural form, and God's name as God gives it is without a gender, "I AM." We are created in God's image, male and female.

I hear the rumblings about what I may be saying, and sure, other places God is called by masculine terms (a lot of them by Jesus), but culture shapes our understanding of God and we have to be mindful of this. . .

And we have to breathe: "Eh," "yeh"; "Eh," "yeh"; "Eh," "yeh"

PRACTICE

Lectio Divina: Read the following passage through after a few deep breaths and pay attention to any word or phrase which sticks out for you. Read through again and pay attention to anything further you notice about the word/phrase and how it applies to you. Read through again and spend time in prayer with the word/phrase asking God what you need to understand/know/do with the word/phrase (i.e., How might God be guiding you? What needs your further action? Where may your understanding need to be changed or expanded? How may this impact your relationship with someone else?). End with a time of thanksgiving. 

Exodus 3:13-17, The Message

13 Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”

15 God continued with Moses: “This is what you’re to say to the Israelites: ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.

16-17 “Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I’ve looked into what’s being done to you in Egypt, and I’ve determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey.”’