Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his
sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel. You shall
tell them:
May God bless you and keep
you.
May the light of His face
to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord look upon you
kindly and give you peace.’
So shall you invoke My name to the children of Israel, and I will
bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27
Every Sunday night before we sit down to eat, my wife and I place
our hands on our daughter’s head and recite this ancient blessing.
It is not so much an attempt to get God to do something, but a
recognition that He has already done it. As the descendants of
Abraham, we can claim the ancient promise God made to him. This is
the covenant, so often repeated, and so often confirmed throughout the Biblical
narrative – that God will always suffer with us and love us. Though the
universe is vast and often seems capricious and cold, we are
never alone.
Image: The Pillars of Creation
