If one is to believe the news reports, the world today is full of merciless, destructive, depressing, terrorizing events, and precious little good is going on. How then, is it possible to feel God’s presence and especially His love, here and now, right where evil seems to be so active and intimidating?

The biblical prophet, Moses, experienced many similar occurrences during his life. When Pharaoh decided to kill all male Hebrew babies, his mother hid him in a basket or “ark” made of bulrushes. The Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket, and instead of turning him over to the Pharaoh’s men, took him as her own (see Exodus 2:1–10). 

Moses grew up in wealth, power, and privilege. However, when he recognized his Jewish heritage and saw his people’s oppressive enslavement by the Egyptians, he rebelled against the injustice. In the process, he slew an Egyptian overseer and had to flee into the wilderness. He became a shepherd and lived quietly for a number of years there.

Then one day, while tending his sheep near Mount Horeb, something startling happened that changed Moses’ whole direction in life. An unheard-of sight caught his eye. He turned aside to look at what appeared to be a burning bush. What was unusual about it was that despite its appearance, “the bush was not consumed.” How could this be? 

What Moses was about to discover was not only his life’s purpose, but also the indestructible, all-powerful nature of God’s creation. 

As he looked at the bush, Moses heard the voice of God calling to him by name. He answered, “Here am I.” Then, God told Moses to take off his shoes, for he was on “holy ground” (see Exodus 3:1–5). From that moment of “pausing” by the bush, all through his long service to God and the Jewish people, Moses grew so close to God that the Israelites said that he talked with God “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exodus 33:11).

One morning, as I turned to God with a multitude of painful challenges, I yearned to hear His voice, feel His love, and be lifted out of a sense of heaviness and discouragement. My heart reached out to listen for a new idea that would correct my vision of life, which seemed to be, as the Bible says “full of trouble” (Job 14:1). 

Although I didn’t get an instant answer, I went forward into the day, with my listening heart, waiting for God’s answer to be revealed to me.

It wasn’t long before I saw my “burning bush” of love. 

I began to see love everywhere, bathing all in warmth and light.

After I dropped our son off at middle school, I set out to walk and pray. As I hiked up a neighborhood hill, I glanced to the right where I saw a man trimming a vine growing on his house. Now, I’d been dropping off kids at this school for about ten years, but I had never, ever, noticed this vine before. So, like Moses, I “turned aside to see.” The owner was tenderly and carefully trimming a wall-sized, heart-shaped trumpet vine.

“What a lovely vine,” I said. “I’ve never noticed it before.”

“I have to trim it very often,” he replied, “to help it keep its shape.”

After expressing my appreciation for his efforts and the results, I continued on my way, thinking of the lessons I could learn from this “vine of love.”

At first, I began to see love everywhere, bathing all in warmth and light—love of home, love of activity and strength, love of order, of intelligence, of family, etc. It was a delight to walk along seeing love expressed in everyone and everything! 

I experienced what a favorite hymn promises, “Sorrow and sighing flee away, / For joy cometh in the morning” (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 425). Happiness permeated my thought.

Further along my way, I began to think of some of the “pruning” that needs to be done in order to keep love “in good shape,” and make room for fresh new growth.

Wow! 

I thought of pruning away hard-heartedness, personal sense, self-righteousness, opinions, resentment, selfishness, jealousy, domination, fear, and sensuousness (just to name a few!) This “pruning” activity went forward in my consciousness as I let the Christ reveal what I needed to know about all who came to thought. I saw them in the light of love: pure and Godlike, and separated each individual from any misconceptions of love. Cutting away self and its impositions set my heart free to see each circumstance and each individual in the light of divine Love.

I felt like singing! Mary Baker Eddy beautifully describes the spirit of rejoicing that comes when judgment and condemnation have been cast out of thought. “A louder song, sweeter than has ever before reached high heaven, now rises clearer and nearer to the great heart of Christ; for the accuser is not there, and Love sends forth her primal and everlasting strain” (Science and Health, p. 568).

Finally, in the last mile or so, as thought was lifted up even higher, I began to see before me not just the love that is of the human heart, but the beauty of God; of divine Love, or Principle, Love’s safe haven; of Love’s family, Love’s strength and stamina, Love’s innocence and the innocence of Love’s child. 

I accepted Love’s painless being, and rejoiced in Love’s love. The world around me and all my eyes rested upon was radiant with divine Love. 

Bodily pain dissipated, resentment washed away, fear lifted, personal responsibility was relinquished; confidence in God and His government of His creation was restored. This was a holy experience! And all brought about by turning aside to see my “burning bush” of love.

So, today and every day, I will strive to prune my concept and expression of divine Love, so that I may see God’s dear love everywhere.