‘Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God’. Exodus 3:6.
We get goose bumps when we are confronted with something that strikes fear in us, or in complete contrast, when we see, or hear something that touches our heart filling us with emotional, spiritual, mystical vibrations. We can’t explain it, but we know it is for real. Sometimes we get a lump in the throat, or tears in the eye. What is happening may have no importance, but what happens to us in such moments is important. Emotions carry a powerful punch to our system either bad or good. Feelings are not a foundation for, nor do they sustain faith, but they can be integrated into the fabric of our relationships, our spiritual vitality and growth.
There are some who are of the opinion emotions are a non-entity, saying there is no meaning in them, they are irrational. John Wesley was sceptical of mysticism, placing no emphasis on ‘feelings’ in religion. We do not grow by feelings, but by faith. Feelings can be misleading, fluctuating, having no substance; it is faith as an act of trust, or commitment that really counts, but faith is not just an idea. Charles Wesley was moved to compose and sing ‘My God! I know, I feel thee mine’ 740, ‘His presence makes the feast: /And now our spirits feel/ The glory not to be expressed’ 614, ‘Son of the living God, appear!/Let us they presence feel’ 763. We are commanded to love God. We cannot love without feelings. As followers of Jesus we cannot remain impervious, insensitive, clinically aloof, or withdrawn. We seek him and long to feel him near. We pray he will make his presence known, in some way, to those in need.
As I read the story of Moses engaged in the task of looking after sheep in the desert when he sees the unusual phenomena of a bush on fire without being consumed, and then hears a voice, I wonder if he had goose bumps. Did Samuel, lying in the dark, when heard his name called for the third time? When Isaiah went, as was his habit, to worship in the temple and suddenly, unexpectedly he sees the Lord with angels singing, and glory all around, did he have goose bumps? When on the mountain with Jesus in that eerie experience of being enveloped in a cloud, was it goose bumps that left Peter spluttering, ‘He did not know what he was saying’ Lk.9:33. Surely Mary and John had a lump in their throat when Jesus spoke to them so tenderly and lovingly from the cross. It would be a normal human reaction. Did Jesus have a lump in his throat when he looked at Jerusalem and wept, or when he met the widow accompanying the corpse of her only son and a wave of mercy swept through him? Did he have goose bumps when perfume trickled down his beard and penitential tears washed his feet? Jesus was flesh and blood, but also God incarnate. All these special moments, and there are many in scripture, are indicators of God in action to catch our attention and make himself known.
In her powerful book on compassion Dr. Catherine Nerney says ‘When we get goose bumps God may be trying to get through to us ‘when that lump appears she asks “Is that you God?” She wants to pay attention, and suggests it could be God’s way of touching our heart; as we reflect on it we may ask not what was it that moved me, but who was it? It may happen any time; a beautiful sight or object, a melody or harmony of voices, a warm hug or hand shake, a kind word of appreciation, a tearful face, a majestic landscape or starlit sky may act as ushers taking us, if only for a moment, to another level lifting us out of ourselves, or perhaps leading us to our true Self. Can you recall any such moments or signs which made you feel good, lifted your spirit, and caused you to see, think or respond differently?
It surely was such experiences that led the psalmist, who repeatedly refers to God as personal with emotions and feelings, to write ‘Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name’ 103:1 as he recalls all the ways in which God had worked and blest him. Again in 139:17 ‘How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them’. His mystical experiences of God outstripped his vocabulary. Something bigger and beyond him was moving within him, surging through his soul enriching his life.
Psychologists recognize the massive impact emotions can have. To suppress them, keep them buried within can have a lasting effect on the body, creating stressful and harmful conditions, or if they are good emotions, they can ‘make our day’, boost our confidence, re-vitalize our spirit and change our outlook. Therapy sessions are specifically designed to relieve pent up emotions and release the tensions crippling the spirit, holding us back.
God, our Creator, wants to be known experientially. Worship, devotional reading and prayer can open up a channel of communication whereby we are brought into touch with the living God. ‘Be still and know’ says the psalmist, Psalm 46:10. We can only know God in a mystical way. We may not be able to explain it any more than when saying “I’ve got goose bumps!” expresses what we are really experiencing, nevertheless it is real to our senses as it opens us to know within ourselves God’s love, compassion, presence and grace.