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Waking the wind

1/16/2015

 
Picture
Only when they spread their wings are they the wakers of a wind: as if God with his broad sculptor’s hands were turning pages in the dark book of the beginning. 
       - Rainer Maria Rilke


READING:
When God began to create the heavens and the earth— the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind swept over the waters… Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.” God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them …the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into his nostrils.
                         - Genesis 1.1-2, 26-27; 2.7 (CEB)



REFLECTION:
It’s early – wicked early – but I can’t sleep for the wind stirring in my spirit; urging me, enticing me, inspiring me… challenging me to pray, reflect, listen, and write something of substance on freedom and equality. The very prospect is exciting because this conviction – the equality of all - has a prominent place in my heart; on this one theological issue at least, there is no ambiguity; on this point God’s Spirit brooks no excuses. 

Despite our best efforts over the years to coax the biblical tradition to support notions of our superiority over others (feel free to define our as you will), the biblical tradition has spread its wings and wakened the wind, inviting us to soar above and beyond the limits imposed by fear, jealousy, and a sense of entitlement; and to see the human community from God’s perspective: equal and unified. 

Despite our diligent attempts to paint Jesus as the defender of all things free – markets, accumulation of wealth, the assertion of power and control – Jesus emphatically refuses this role. Read his story; you don’t have to take my word for it; there is a clear sub-text. “Ain’t gonna happen,” Jesus insists. “You won’t use me to assert economy over equality, privilege over poverty, personal security over succor for the weak and marginalized. Ain’t gonna happen.”

And despite our fervent desire to bundle up against the wind and avoid being swept away on God’s cause, the wind has been wakened; the same wind that swept over chaos “in the beginning,” presaging the explosion of God’s creative activity. That wind continues to blow because God, with sculptor’s hands, continues to create children, women, and men in the divine image. The one, clear divine image, mind you. This image doesn’t come in stages or degrees. This image is not an entitlement. This image is not deserved but granted as a gift… to all. We are called to recognize and embrace its profoundly simple reality, a sign of God’s tender embrace of each and every individual, culture, and people. It’s just easier to recognize from above the clouds. Shall we soar?

                                     - Bo

You Don't Have to Die

1/17/2014

 
Picture of The Lamb of GodLamb of God - Teresa Carter
"When your character is built on spiritual and moral foundation, your contagious way of life will influence millions."

 - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

John 1:29-42 (Common English Bible)
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’  Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel.”  John testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him.  Even I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  I have seen and testified that this one is God’s Son.”

The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples.  When he saw Jesus walking along he said, “Look!  The Lamb of God!”  The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus.  When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?”  They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?  He replied, “Come and see.”  So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.  It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.  One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon peter.  He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ).  He led him to Jesus.  Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John.  You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).


Reflection: Once there was a minister surrounded himself at the church chancel with children during worship and began to talk to them about the upcoming holiday national holiday. When asked whose birthday would be celebrated in January, the well-informed group responded, "Martin Luther King, Jr." The minister inquired further by asking what kind of work Dr. King did. How much prompting it took is not certain, but the answer being fished for was given. "Martin Luther King, Jr., was the minister of a church." 

In an attempt to draw an obvious parallel, the minister reminded the gathered faithful that was also his life's work. At that point, with a straightening of the necktie and some posturing which made him look a bit taller and a lot more distinguished, the minister wondered aloud about the possibility of a holiday being named for him. Across a couple of rows of pews came an innocent whisper that must have sounded like Jesus himself: "You have to die first." (story from the book And Then Came The Angel: Gospel Sermons for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany by William B. Kincaid, III)

In our Gospel reading this week we see John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God very early on in Jesus' ministry.  And then his disciples begin to follow him and also identify him as The Lamb of God and the Messiah.  We see that one of John's most important roles is to point to the Messiah, to point to The Lamb of God, that everyone around him would see the wondrous works of God in Jesus Christ.  

So often when we try to "be the hands and feet of Christ," here on earth, or show Christ to others through our own actions, we forget that we do not have to be Christ.  In taking up our own cross, our job is not to be Christ, it is to point to Christ so that others may see the work of Christ here in our world.  Surely Christ is within each of us, but our job is not to be Christ, rather to point to Christ, to show who Christ is through our actions.  It is easy to think, "well of course I'm not trying to be Christ," but we might need to be reminded of the fact every now and again that our job is to point to Christ as John the Baptist did.

"The Lamb of God has shown us what selfless acts look like, and it is his example that calls us to lose sight of our own lives so that we and all of God's children might know a greater life," and we can know this greater life by pointing to Christ. (from the book And Then Came The Angel: Gospel Sermons for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany by William B. Kincaid, III)
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