Taste & See

During the summer of 2016, I traveled to the Dolomite Mountains in northern Italy to do some mountain climbing with five of my college buddies. I had read about mountain climbing. I had watched a few documentaries. I had even purchased some climbing gear. But actual mountain climbing was different. Nothing could prepare me for the wind on my face and the utter exhilaration of staring down a 1,500-foot drop. Even now, my palms get sweaty just recalling the experience nearly a decade ago. Knowing about mountain climbing is much different than experiencing the thrill of mountain climbing.

For a long time, my faith journey followed a similar pattern. I knew about God, but I didn’t actually know God. I could talk about God, but found it hard to talk with God. I read about God, but struggled to be with or feel close to Him.

Can any of you relate to that?

Henri Nouwen writes, “Knowing God means listening to the voice of love. This requires letting go of all those voices that make us believe we are not good enough, that we have to prove our worth.”

Listening to that voice of love was what began to unlock things for me. I started to let go of the idea that I needed to earn my keep with God. It started in silence, naming my longings, and daring to believe God was with me, even in my brokenness. As I began to receive His love for me, I could more easily extend it to others. As a spiritual director, I’ve sat with many people who, like me, reached a point in their journey where they wanted something deeper. Not another podcast, sermon, or task to accomplish, but real connection.

The Psalmist offers this invitation: “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” Psalm 34:8, The Message

Faith isn’t just a set of beliefs we agree to. It’s a life we share with a living God. And like mountain climbing, it’s not something you fully grasp until you actually do it. It’s risky, real, and beautiful. Once you taste it you want more.