A sudden intake of breath

James Cathcart March 03, 2025 3 2

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Exodus 34: 29-35 & 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 (NRSVA)

Exodus 34

29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant[a] in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32 Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; 34 but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

 

2 Corinthians 3

12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, 13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that[a] was being set aside. 14 But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. 15 Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4

1 Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practise cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

Aaron speaks:

Have you seen Moses by the way? Don’t forget your sunglasses hey? The boy’s glowing like a Christmas tree. (What’s a Christmas tree you ask? Good question, what is a Christmas tree? No idea where that came from…) Anyway…

He’s shining like a shooting star, like a comet hey! Normally Moses is one of these guys keeps it low key, doesn’t like being centre of attention, I’m the one always rabbiting on, hogging the limelight — but I was speechless, it took my breath away. I literally stopped breathing — just frozen like a deer in headlights. (Headlights… yeah don’t know where that one came from either, I don’t know what’s wrong with me today… like a big candle? like a deer caught looking at a big candle? Jings what am I on about, get a grip of yourself Aaron). Where was I…

Then Moses is like “Dinnae fash, it’s just me under here, it’s just Wee Mo.” And right enough it is, he may be glowing so bright you’re in danger of third degree burns just looking at the boy, but it’s Wee Mo right enough. And the breathing comes back to me and all the words. First thing I say is “Veil! Get a veil on that heid pronto.” It’s too much, it’s just too much. Mo will be visible from space. 

But ken what? I took a deep breath and then it hit me, it was like a lightbulb going off (No, I’m sorry, no idea what a ‘lightbulb’ is either… like a flower that shines with electricity? What’s electricity? Oh jings I’m down a rabbit hole now hey, I don’t know what’s got into me). Whatever a lightbulb is — it was like somebody switched it on and I got it. The light was pure streaming out of Wee Mo literally, but the light was also streaming out of me, and Miriam, and all of us, God is just shining out of us giving us freedom, restoring our hearts like the sun energising the earth.

And I was like “Ho, Moses, forget the veil. Let’s turn the floodlights up to 11!”(Floodlights, you know like at football or baseball or whatever. Football? Foot - ball? What’s wrong with me today? Hang on hey, have I just invented football?)

Prayer:

Lord of All Breath,

You are breathtaking as well as breath-giving.

Sometimes in your presence we’re full of words

and sometimes we’re speechless.

But regardless, shine on, stream out of us!

Amen.