This is the fourth in a series of posting looking at the meaning of Isaiah 6 for today; it began (here). In the previous posting in this series (here), we saw that Isaiah's vision is rooted in a particular historical context. In the very first verse of the chapter, however, we are transported to another spiritual plane that transcends the historical context because in the year that King Uzziah died Isaiah saw God. In this sentence, we have crammed together and juxtaposed with each other the two great movements of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Our faith is rooted in the real world we live in, and we ignore our context at our peril. Our faith is rooted in a vision (and experiences) that transcends every context and, in some ways, doesn't even make sense in them. We are constantly standing between here and there, time and eternity, the mundane and the mystical.So, before we go on with our search for insights into Isaiah Chapter 6, we would do well to stop for a moment and remember that ultimately we stand in two places at once and simply cannot explain how or why or what it all means anymore than one can explain snow to someone who has never seen the stuff. Isaiah saw something that cannot be seen. We can't explain it. It is a mystery. For a moment, we do well to stand on the hillside looking out at the inexplicably spectacular sunset with its hues of red, orange, and yellow, and simply let it be.
Isaiah saw God.
