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Posts Tagged ‘love’

Exposing Gentleness

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 13, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Philippians 4:5a
“Let your gentleness be evident to all….” [Paul]

Exposing gentleness has always sounded dangerous to me. That’s why most people perceive me as having a “strong,” maybe even tough exterior. It’s a type of shield for my heart. I’m sure, even my dearest friends, wouldn’t choose “gentle” to describe me. But it is there.

I only expose my gentle self when I judge the circumstances are safe. For instance, I’m sure my pets would call me gentle most of the time, particularly one on one. Or is it that they gentle me? In any event, I respond to their unconditional love. But the heart cannot count on unconditional love from others. The gentle heart must give it.

One key to exposing the gentle heart is not responding like for like. I get sucked in emotionally to the flames of others when I want to be cool water.

Another key is trusting God to protect my heart. I think the revelation for me today is that a heart protected by God is like a “tempurpedic mattress” – it returns to its shape naturally. It’s not that the heart won’t be pushed or compressed, but it will bounce back.

In truth, the gentle heart is resilient and very strong. The gentle heart accepts people right were they are. The gentle heart places no expectations on others. The gentle heart is patient. The gentle heart is brave.

Oh, gentle heart, be brave today.

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Symbiosis

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 14:11a
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;…”

Here’s the definition of symbiosis: any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, groups, etc. Here are some synonyms: cooperation, collaboration, synergy, union, combined effort, alliance, harmony, unity.

This is one way of describing the relationship that Jesus had with the Father while He was on earth. This is the relationship that we can have as well.

What is preventing us from having this symbiotic experience? Probably it’s sin: control, self-motivation, personal preferences, personal power, self-interest, fear, distrust.

What does it take to experience symbiosis: trust, faith, risk, courage, confidence, love.

How many of us have “asked Jesus into our hearts,” or “asked Jesus to be the Lord of our lives” … [pick any one of these cliches]… and then we ask Jesus, the very Son of God who is in direct symbiosis with God the Father, we ask him to sit in a corner and wait until we really need him to ask him into the fray.

In a symbiotic relationship, both parties are working for a common purpose. They are still individual, but they are something new together as well. This is the “new creation.”

This is my mantra today: I am in Jesus and Jesus is in me. I am in the Father and the Father is in me. I am in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is in me.

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I Am Showing You

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , on August 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 14:8
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Poor Philip, he still doesn’t get it. Poor us… we don’t get it either.

I can just imagine the look on Jesus’s face when Philip made this statement. It would be like one of my kids saying, “show me a mother, and then I’ll understand what a mother is.” How can I show something I am. Each and every day, I am. Every action, every word, everything good, bad, wrong or right, is part of showing a mother.

The same is for love. How often do young lovers say, “show me you love me.” But this too is impossible. Either one loves or does not. What those young lovers are asking for is proof on their own terms. It’s a type of manipulation.

Philip could not, at that point, believe that “Father God” could be embodied in this man, Jesus. Philip had a different mental model of the Father. He assumed there was more to it. God couldn’t be a poor guy who walked around the countryside hanging out with anyone who was willing to listen and learn. Where was the blazing light that led the Israelites out of Eqypt? Where was the consuming fire? Where was the King?

If we claim to be in the way of Jesus, then, in all of our own frailties, we are actually ‘showing” Jesus to others. We don’t arrive at some perfect destination and then become presentable. We are in the way of Jesus now.

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How Many Rooster Crows?

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on August 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 13:38b
“…I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

Living in the city, I don’t really hear roosters crowing. And yet, I do resonant with the idea that each morning, roosters herald the dawn and a new day. But how many mornings have I betrayed the very God I love through inattention and disregard? How often have I “disowned” Him from fear?

There is a powerful skit I used to perform for small groups where Jesus would surprise me one morning when I was getting ready to go to work, but running late. I reasoned with Him, since we didn’t have time to sit down together, He could stick around, have a cup of coffee, and we would connect later that day. Instead, He offered to go with me to work. I thought that was inappropriate. I suggested He visit my next door neighbor now and then we could visit later. And so on the skit would go until I ended up getting really angry and “nailing” him to the wall so he would stop pestering me since I was so busy.

Or, perhaps the rooster crowed and caught me on a day after I disowned the Lord like Peter because I was afraid. The fears that cause my betrayals are not the same ones that Peter had. My life has never been threatened because of my faith. I am usually afraid of others and their opinion of me. Too often, I have chosen silence when it would be better to speak. I have looked the other way in the face of sin or need. I have indulged myself and my children and we have dipped our feet into the world while others suffer.

Slowly, I am changing. I am getting better about hearing the rooster crow as a call to prayer. I am seeing Jesus in the people I meet. I am waking up.

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Betrayal for Everyone

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on August 5, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 13:21
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”

And Judas didn’t bat an eye. He saw the whole thing differently than everyone else. In his mind, it wasn’t betrayal. He was helping move things along. He thought he had the “big picture.” He thought the stars were aligned and Jesus needed to step up his game.

Can you imagine, with this mindset, what he must have thought when Jesus turned to him at table and said, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” [vs 27b] He probably viewed that as the “go-ahead.” Jesus was going to take the challenge and show everyone. He would reveal himself. He would become their king. He would overthrow the Romans. On and on his mind would have clamored.

Haven’t we all, at some point or another, justified our own actions in the same way? We convince ourselves that our choices are the right choices for the moment. From adultery to lying to theft and more, our reasoning allows it. In reality every sin is a type of betrayal against the other. If we commit adultery, we betray a spouse; if we lie, we betray the trust of the person receiving that lie; if we steal, we betray the owner… and so on.

Confronting the truth of betrayal means confronting ourselves and our motives. Betrayal is all about “me.” Judas ran from his betrayal and killed himself. This may have been his greatest sin of all. A betrayer can be redeemed but only with confession.

I have betrayed and it grieves my spirit today. I call on the love and grace of Christ Jesus to wash me in forgiveness. My only hope.

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Endless Future

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on July 31, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 1:48-49
[Mary said] “… for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.”

From now on… those are deep words for anyone who is trying to figure out today. From now on, I will look at the rest of my differently. From now on, I will invite tomorrow into my life. From now on, I will expect God, who is holy, to continue to do great things for me. From now on…

We cannot walk our own future. We can make plans and we can anticipate problems and we can lay a strong foundation, but in the end, the future is a God thing and anything can happen.

The greatest preparation we can make for the future is to accept what the future brings and “work it.” There is richness in the now if we accept it as a gift from our future.

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Hiding in Plain Sight

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , on July 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 12:36b
When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

I couldn’t help but wonder what this hiding would look like. It certainly wasn’t “hide and seek.” It’s not like he hid behind a column and peeked out to make sure no one saw him before he bolted out the back door. And where were the disciples? Did he say, “I’ll meet you back at the ranch,” and then disappeared from them as well? Why did John even bother to mention this small fact?

The basics are that Jesus walked away and once he had entered the crowd, he became unnoticeable. His appearance was ordinary. He could melt into a crowd. He was there but no one recognized him.

When I was younger in my faith, I used to pray that Jesus would manifest before me. I wanted a supernatural vision so I could ask Him, “What is it exactly you want me to do? Speak plainly.” I sounded just like the people in the temple. And what did I expect his manifestation would look like: white robe and sandals?

We do not see Jesus because we have created our own mental model of what it means to see Jesus.

In His days of walking on the earth, He walked among the poor, destitute, and blatantly sinful. Isn’t it logical that He would do the same today? In Matthew 18:20, Jesus is quoted as saying, “…where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” And in Matthew 28:20, He is quoted again as saying, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus is here now. Look!

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