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Leaving home this morning my wife calls from the adjacent room, “I Love You”.

Sweet drops of joy are found in such a proclamation.

But, I thought – How can love be received only in word. Where is the deed? I need touch. I need hugs. I need kisses. Something. Not passive rhetoric; aggressive passion.

To give her props, Kaisha did indeed grace me with a hug and kiss.

The thought, however lingered. As I was driving to the office, the airwaves, to which I was tuned, offered a brief syndicated remark from Mr. Chuck Swindoll. Now, I can’t quite give an exact quote, but the idea was this:

- Are you reading the word of God? Or are you simply feeding upon pre-digested scripture? Are you placing your understanding of God into the hands of your pastor? Or on the latest Christian book? Are you leaving the searching to others? -

Old Mr. Chuck, with a tone of rebuke, offered:

- “If you are, you are being spoon fed. You are babes in Christ”. -

Wow! Sharp rebuke, but, fantastic truth.

A conversation I had recently was somewhat liken to this truth. The word choice was not focused solely on time with the Word but more broadly – Time with God (whichever discipline you wish to apply here; prayer, meditation, fasting, worship, study, etc…). The idea was that the responsibility is on the individual. One has to personally go to the Mountain of God. We can not thrive on stories of others going to the Mountain; we must experience the Joy ourselves internally.

All this brings me to Walt Whitman’s final declaration in his rambling poem,

“Faces”:

“The melodious character of the earth, The finish beyond which philosophy cannot go and does not wish to go, The justified mother of men.”

This is his subtle praise to the “Old face of the mother of many children”

He most eloquently succumbs to the truth or power of observance and proclaims the great honor to be found in “Action”. He admires and feasts hardily upon the countenance of this specific woman, but surrenders to the fact the he will never be able to comprehend her experience.

Oh, “The melodious character of the earth,”

We all have our own experience. We all have relationship known only by God.

Taste your food fresh from the giver.

Trek to the peak of the Mountain, alone.

Allow God to touch you personally.