The Spirit of God dwells between, within, and beyond all places and even what feels like “unplaces” beyond our imagination—everywhere. Because we are human and our existence is limited, we have been given the gift of living in particular “places” where we can encounter God. As the Spirit moves, we sometimes sense a holiness that seems to link us to a specific place. I have described this in another work, The Holy Link of the God-Human-Animal Bond.

In that work, I use a simple symbol from an early statistics class: f(x, y): S(p, e).

It is a way for me to name a “thin place,” where heaven and earth meet for a moment in our embodied human life. To suggest how the Spirit may move in a single experience, I use this theological and relational symbol: S(p, e) means that a place (p) and an experience (e) are being transformed or acted upon by the Spirit’s presence (S).

In this model, S is not a number we add or multiply. Instead, S functions more like an operator or a function f(x, y)—not a quantity, but an active agent that does something. In our case, the Spirit is that Someone. To put it plainly, S(p, e) says that the Spirit (S) is the living agent who works in and through a particular place (p) and experience (e). When this happens, S(p, e) names a grace-filled moment.

It is important to say that this notation does not and cannot “measure” the Spirit’s presence. Rather, it is a symbolic way of speaking about the Spirit’s relational and transforming work in, through, and even beyond the places and experiences we share.

A thin place is that moment when time no longer feels heavy or demanding. The Spirit of God may be sensed as a gentle weight resting almost imperceptibly in the atmosphere. God’s presence feels nearly tangible. And then, just as suddenly, that spiritual window seems to close. By faith, however, you trust that the Spirit has not departed. So what now? You know you have just had a God-moment, that a God-thing has happened—but what do you do with the memory?

This is where the journey begins. Share what you have experienced with someone who may need to hear how you were willing to be present enough to notice God.