Take off your sandals (Exodus 3:5)

Here’s a blog arising from a bit of ‘Knight’s move’ thinking.

I had grabbed my shoes in preparation to leave the house, but then had one of those pangs that said, 'before you rush out to XX, you should pray'. So I sat down, but started to pull on my shoes - thinking ahead! – and the above verse pops into my head. I’d always wondered what the significance was in ‘taking off your shoes’ in God’s presence. The commentaries observe it is an ancient middle-eastern custom signifying respect – but why / how is never really explained.

Then it occurred to me that when you take off your shoes – you’re not going anywhere quickly. Taking off your shoes generally signifies ‘staying put’, at least for a while. So I sheepishly slipped my shoes off to push back the temptation to rattle off a quick prayer before springing up and out the door. Now of course, prayers said in socks are no more spiritual than those said in brogues. But perhaps there is a principle here (even if not from Ex 3) – i.e. God’s presence is a place to take time in. God is not someone to give a hurried nod to as we bustle between activities. Those times when we ‘connect’ with God are not to be regarded as interludes between the real business of life – but should slow us down to place of unhurriedness.

The issue isn’t so much about the amount of minutes spent (although that’s not completely irrelevant) but about the sense of stopping, giving our full attention, sensing the reality and the greatness of the One in whose presence we have paused. So maybe, now and again, slipping our shoes off when we stop to pray would be a little way of saying, ‘Like Moses, I’m in the presence of a Holy & Fearful God, and if that doesn’t stop me in my tracks nothing will’.