Saving face

The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.' So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them." Numbers 6.24-27

I once worked with a pastoral counseling client, who I will call Stacy (not her real name), that shared with me her experience of being lonely at the dinner table while growing up. Stacy explained to me that, for whatever reason, her family never ate meals together. Her dad would always cook, place her meal on the table, and then retreat to a separate room. Her mother would be absent most nights due to work responsibilities. Stacy told me the details of her lonely childhood dining arrangement in a very stoic and detached way. 

Upon hearing Stacy's description, I asked, "What did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you survive all those nights alone?"
"I don't know. I guess I talked to myself."
"Do you eat alone now or with your current family?" (Stacy was married with three kids.)
"Oh, I eat with family. But, honestly, it's really easy for me to detach at dinner time and fall back into the same pattern I had when I was a kid."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to grab my plate of food and go off by myself."
"Really?"
"Yes. It's almost like I'm afraid of being at the table with other people."
"Afraid? Of what? I wonder."
"I don't know. I know for one thing, I hate the silence."
"The silence?"
"Yes. I hate the silence at the dinner table. It reminds me of how lonely I was growing up."
"Are there ways you overcome the silence now? You obviously have done something to at least learn how to sit down and tolerate eating with your family."
"I mostly hum and sing, but I've also discovered that I actually feel more comfortable the more people are around the dinner table." 
"Really!?" (I was surprised by her answer.) "Why is that?"
"Because I don't feel as lonely and it's not as quiet when a bunch of people are gathered around the table laughing and telling stories."

My client and I later went on to process the fact she felt her "loneliness gap" (her terminology) filled the more people gathered around the dinner table. I helped her apply the Biblical terms of redemption and salvation to understand what took place at large meal gatherings; her lonely childhood was being redeemed and saved by large table experiences as an adult.  Unfortunately, Stacy's story is shared by many; they grew up in a home where they felt lonely or abandoned and because of their lonely childhood, they are hungry for relationships and community. 

Stacy's story is not only shared by many, but it goes back to the beginning of time. Adam and Eve experienced a "loneliness gap" after they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. They experienced a loneliness, not ultimately from each other, but from their creator; God. Due to their disobedience and sin, they lost the perfect relationship they had with God and with the loss of that relationship; they lost the ability to FACE God. 

Think about it. Can we be in a healthy relationship with someone if we never look at them? Can we effectively listen to someone if we are looking in another direction as they speak? Can we effectively speak to someone if we are talking in the opposite direction of which they are standing? Can truly engage in a loving embrace if looking away? The answer to all these questions is "No." In order to be in a healthy relationship with someone, we must FACE them.

The concept of FACING is what makes the blessing above from the book of Numbers so powerful. God blessed the Israelites with what was ultimately lost in the Garden through the establishment of this blessing, God's FACE. According to the Psalmist, God's FACE equaled redemption and salvation, "Let your FACE shine upon your servant; SAVE me in your stedfast love" (Psalm 31.16) or "Restore us, O God; let you FACE shine, that we may be SAVED" (Psalm 80.3). The restoration of God's FACE upon the Israelites in the book of Numbers meant that redemption and salvation were once again present in the Israelite community. (Sadly, the Israelites did not respond so well to God's reestablished FACE as they continued to sin and rebel.)

What does God's FACE or FACING have to do with my client, Stacy? What Stacy was missing time and time again while sitting at lonely dinner tables was the FACING of her loved ones. That lack of FACING equaled lack of relationship. Why does Stacy now crave large dinner gatherings? Because of the many FACES  that surround her. Those FACES equal abundance in relationship and redeem the lonely experiences of her childhood. 

This week, as many of you gather around the dinner table, I hope you take time to look at the FACES of those with which you will share a meal. As you do, I encourage you to be reminded that those beautiful FACES equal meaningful relationships. So, slow down and enjoy those relationships. And, I encourage you to reflect upon the most important FACE of all, Jesus Christ. Who, according to Scripture, is the very image or FACE of God (2 Corinthians 4.4). Happy Thanksgiving!

(Emphasis through all caps is mine.)