Careful observers know that you don’t find God only in church on Sunday morning. And now, thanks to the Washington Post’s excellent On Faith section (available online), we have more insight on God’s omnipresence, from a Jesuit who encounters Him on the subway:

Some people see God while looking at mountains, or in a baby’s smile. I seem to find Him especially on escalators. At Rosslyn the platforms are 97 feet below the surface: it makes for a two-minute ride descending what is reportedly the third longest continuous escalator in the world. If I stand on the staircase rather than running to the bottom, this piece of a half-hour commute becomes a privileged two minutes I can use to look for God.

That Friday I rode with high-heeled business commuters who clattered by in barely controlled descents while laborers in hard hats joked in Spanish about their boss’ drinking. Desert-camouflaged soldiers and Air Force officers in flight suits joined us in our journey. Most of my anonymous companions were quiet. Some conversed in twos and threes. I narrowly avoided colliding with an office worker who clutched a leaky cup of coffee. I reminded myself of my vow of chastity as I found my own eyes lingering upon a pair of young women who ascended opposite, their curious glances fixed some while upon my Roman dress. I admired a spike-haired artist bobbling an oversize portfolio and a mother in a purple sari carrying a baby sleeping in a sling. The wonder of God’s creation shone out of all these people like the like the white on white brightness of a near-death experience.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, had these suggestions for making Steps for a “Twice Daily Spiritual Examination.”

Step 1) Quiet yourself and recall that you are in the presence of God.

Step 2) Ask God to assist you in making the examination.

Step 3) Recall the people, places and things that have entered you day since your last examination. Ask where God might have been present in the sights, sounds, tastes, and sensations of your day.

Step 4) Consider where you may have turned away from God’s desires for you in your choices or actions.

Step 5) Form a resolve based on numbers three and four above to change some behavior or attitude in yourself. Ask God to help you with this resolve. Conclude with a familiar prayer that you like.

Acutely on that morning, I felt God brush my face in a steady rush of wind that wafted up the escalator tunnel. A watery scent hinted at dark and secret courses beneath the river, I imagined subterranean chambers frequented by orange-vested Metro crews, beyond the pedestrian reach of ordinary commuters like me. I stood upon the platform, waiting for a train, while the pillars of the earth walked and ran, jostled and careened all about me.

Follow the link for the rest. Anyone who quotes Thomas Merton, as this author does, is just fine by me. But beyond that, this essay is rich in revelation and abundant food for thought. Try it. You’ll like it.