often we live our lives as if they will never end. because of that illusion we procrastinate, or allow resentments to linger, or tell our children “not now”, or leave something that needs to be said for “another day”. how many of us have stood in front of a casket looking at a deceased loved one while thinking to ourselves – “i wish i would have told them...” or “i wish i had done...”.
when my father died in 1996 i experienced such a moment. so many things never said, so many questions never asked, so many hugs never given. now i can talk to him when i visit the cemetery, but the gravestone cannot respond nor hug.
every moment of our lives is an opportunity to live, or to simply exist. every moment of our lives is a chance to deepen relationships and share of ourselves, or simply a time to get by. lost in the illusion of the timelessness of our lives on earth, the moments pass, as do the opportunities each moment presents to us.
paul wrote, “the time is now”. he was speaking about the time to enter relationship with Jesus, to know God’s love, to experience salvation. and he was right; the time is now to love God, and also to love one another. now is the only time we have to do it, to say it, to experience the fullness of life that is only found in relationship with the Source of life, and with the people God has brought into our lives. all our concerns about jobs and money and education and success are dust in the wind. the only thing that lasts is love, and the only time to experience love is now.
so as paul wrote “don’t let the sun set on your anger”. now is the time to heal the wounds, to share your love, to talk and laugh and cry and hug those by whom your heart is made whole. most especially, now is the time to come to know God in Christ. the moment, this moment, matters. embrace it and live.
© 2012 Halley Low
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
expectations, not so great
it is good that we remember palm sunday. the day Jesus entered jerusalem riding on a humble work animal. it is good that we remember the crowds that lined the street leading to the gate of the city, hands waving, voices singing "hosanna", and hearts filled with so many expectations - the king has come, the romans be gone, we will return to the splendor of the days of solomon and once again be a proud nation. it is good we remember those crowds since we are so much like them, with our expectations, our hands waiting to be filled, our voices crying "Lord, Lord", and our hearts filled with so many wants we expect to be satisfied.
only a few days later, those crowds that welcomed Jesus as he rode into jerusalem, were now singing a different song, "crucify him", because they had been disappointed, as the king was not what they expected. after all the preacher men said their expectations are what the scriptures promised. again we are confronted with how much we are like the people in those crowds, how quickly we turn when our expectations aren't met, when we feel disappointed because it didn't go as we expected it should. how quick we are to change our song from "Lord, Lord" to "why God, why" in an accusatory tone, hearts filled with self-righteous indignation as to why our genie in the sky did not meet our expectations. after all that's what the preacher men said the scriptures promised!
God isn't the only one we turn on when our expectations aren't met. how many expectations we have of other people: our parents, our partners, our children, our teachers, our friends. a mother has a son, the apple of her eye. she expects him to become a doctor and provide her with the "good life". its a beautiful dream - her beautiful expectation, only he wants to follow a different, albeit less lucrative, career path and the apple turns out to be "rotten" and is cask off. on the other hand, a child expects her parents to meet, and exceed, all her expectations of what a perfect parent is suppose to be. how disappointed she is when her expectations are not fully met, when it turns out her parents aren't gods but just frail human beings like herself.
its so easy to turn on those who do not meet our expectations, we do it all the time and even feel "righteous" in our disappointment because we buy into the idea that God and other people exist to meet our expectations. it's interesting how we often do not live up to the expectations others have of us, but that doesn't bother us nearly so much, if at all. we shrug our shoulders and say "hey i don't exist to live up to your standard", all the while still expecting others to live up to ours.
that's the problem with expectations, they are projections of our desire, which may be good or bad but are not beholden on another person. expectations always set us up for disappointment, and where is the wisdom in doing that?
this is why God has no expectations of us. God knows us too well to have any expectations of us, and so sent us His Son to show us a better way, and give us the grace to follow it. if we lay aside our expectations we can be filled with His inspirations, then our lives will be transformed beyond our expectations.
© 2012 Halley Low
only a few days later, those crowds that welcomed Jesus as he rode into jerusalem, were now singing a different song, "crucify him", because they had been disappointed, as the king was not what they expected. after all the preacher men said their expectations are what the scriptures promised. again we are confronted with how much we are like the people in those crowds, how quickly we turn when our expectations aren't met, when we feel disappointed because it didn't go as we expected it should. how quick we are to change our song from "Lord, Lord" to "why God, why" in an accusatory tone, hearts filled with self-righteous indignation as to why our genie in the sky did not meet our expectations. after all that's what the preacher men said the scriptures promised!
God isn't the only one we turn on when our expectations aren't met. how many expectations we have of other people: our parents, our partners, our children, our teachers, our friends. a mother has a son, the apple of her eye. she expects him to become a doctor and provide her with the "good life". its a beautiful dream - her beautiful expectation, only he wants to follow a different, albeit less lucrative, career path and the apple turns out to be "rotten" and is cask off. on the other hand, a child expects her parents to meet, and exceed, all her expectations of what a perfect parent is suppose to be. how disappointed she is when her expectations are not fully met, when it turns out her parents aren't gods but just frail human beings like herself.
its so easy to turn on those who do not meet our expectations, we do it all the time and even feel "righteous" in our disappointment because we buy into the idea that God and other people exist to meet our expectations. it's interesting how we often do not live up to the expectations others have of us, but that doesn't bother us nearly so much, if at all. we shrug our shoulders and say "hey i don't exist to live up to your standard", all the while still expecting others to live up to ours.
that's the problem with expectations, they are projections of our desire, which may be good or bad but are not beholden on another person. expectations always set us up for disappointment, and where is the wisdom in doing that?
this is why God has no expectations of us. God knows us too well to have any expectations of us, and so sent us His Son to show us a better way, and give us the grace to follow it. if we lay aside our expectations we can be filled with His inspirations, then our lives will be transformed beyond our expectations.
© 2012 Halley Low
Sunday, March 11, 2012
prayer is an egg salad finger sandwich
prayer is an egg salad finger sandwich. huh??? well, think about it a moment. an egg salad finger sandwich is a delicious morsel that satisfies and yet leaves one wanting more. that’s the whole point of a good canapé. it’s exactly the same with real prayer, something delicious that satisfies the need to connect with the One who calls us into being, yet leaves us wanting more – more conversation, where we listen more then we speak; more nourishment, where we enter more deeply into the mystery of communion.
now i’m talking about real prayer. not the laundry list of petitions for things wanted or dreams to be realized, with an occasional addendum of thanksgivings for things received or dreams manifested. nor am i speaking of prayer as a recitation of pretty words printed in a prayer book.
real prayer is about presence. real prayer is about surrendering to the Spirit and thereby developing a consciousness of God’s presence in the here and now, and in the always and everywhere . the more conscious we become of God’s presence in our lives at every moment, the more prayer facilitates personal growth and spiritual maturity. the more we come to realize God’s active and personal presence in our lives, the more we desire to live our lives in accordance with God’s will.
think about what Jesus taught on prayer in the gospels of matthew and luke. when his disciples inquired about how they should pray, Jesus responded “pray in this way” and gave us the guide to prayer that has become enshrined as “the Lord’s prayer”. the prayer differs somewhat between matthew and luke, which i think is testament to Jesus offering the prayer as a model for how to pray rather then a dictate as to what to say. nevertheless, in both cases Jesus begins the prayer with the word “Abba”.
Abba is an aramaic expression which is typically translated as “Father”, but as any bible scholar will tell you, Abba is an informal term of endearment more akin to “daddy” or “papa” or “baba”. the whole essence of prayer is summed up in that one word “Abba”, because prayer is the practice of being conscious of the One who is always present and loves you wholly, without reservation.
the experience of real prayer is like when you were a young child and climbed up onto your parent’s lap, embraced in caring arms, and you just rested securely in the knowledge that you were loved. that’s exactly what real prayer is, it’s about growing in the knowledge that you have a deep intimate relationship with God; climbing up onto God’s lap, resting in God’s hug, and knowing you are loved, to which you might respond with adoring eyes “I love you Abba”, and God lovingly replies “another canapé my little one”.
now i’m talking about real prayer. not the laundry list of petitions for things wanted or dreams to be realized, with an occasional addendum of thanksgivings for things received or dreams manifested. nor am i speaking of prayer as a recitation of pretty words printed in a prayer book.
real prayer is about presence. real prayer is about surrendering to the Spirit and thereby developing a consciousness of God’s presence in the here and now, and in the always and everywhere . the more conscious we become of God’s presence in our lives at every moment, the more prayer facilitates personal growth and spiritual maturity. the more we come to realize God’s active and personal presence in our lives, the more we desire to live our lives in accordance with God’s will.
think about what Jesus taught on prayer in the gospels of matthew and luke. when his disciples inquired about how they should pray, Jesus responded “pray in this way” and gave us the guide to prayer that has become enshrined as “the Lord’s prayer”. the prayer differs somewhat between matthew and luke, which i think is testament to Jesus offering the prayer as a model for how to pray rather then a dictate as to what to say. nevertheless, in both cases Jesus begins the prayer with the word “Abba”.
Abba is an aramaic expression which is typically translated as “Father”, but as any bible scholar will tell you, Abba is an informal term of endearment more akin to “daddy” or “papa” or “baba”. the whole essence of prayer is summed up in that one word “Abba”, because prayer is the practice of being conscious of the One who is always present and loves you wholly, without reservation.
the experience of real prayer is like when you were a young child and climbed up onto your parent’s lap, embraced in caring arms, and you just rested securely in the knowledge that you were loved. that’s exactly what real prayer is, it’s about growing in the knowledge that you have a deep intimate relationship with God; climbing up onto God’s lap, resting in God’s hug, and knowing you are loved, to which you might respond with adoring eyes “I love you Abba”, and God lovingly replies “another canapé my little one”.
Friday, November 11, 2011
sometimes
sometimes when something is a great effort and challenging in ways beyond imagining, people, well many people, will tell you to - give up, let it go, think about yourself, why complicate your life, etc.
and when you face your limitations and your fears, and question your sanity, yet persevere, continuing to question and to face your limitations while reaching out; and you listen to those couple of voices who oppose the cacophony of naysayers and you are encouraged to persevere.
then you come to realize that questions will always be, and limitations are good, and this is all necessary to live in faith so that you may move beyond perseverance to a living hope.
and when you face your limitations and your fears, and question your sanity, yet persevere, continuing to question and to face your limitations while reaching out; and you listen to those couple of voices who oppose the cacophony of naysayers and you are encouraged to persevere.
then you come to realize that questions will always be, and limitations are good, and this is all necessary to live in faith so that you may move beyond perseverance to a living hope.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
what is freedom?
with july 4th having just past, i pause to reflect on the meaning of freedom. according to the dictionary freedom means: to be at liberty rather than in confinement or under restraint, to be exempt from external control or regulation, the power to determine for oneself and the opportunity to exercise that power. so we could say that freedom is the ability to say and live the old revolutionary motto “don’t tread on me”.
we can say “don’t tread on me”, “don’t box me in”, “don’t impose your rules on me" because we recognize freedom as a natural right. yet we can only recognize the right to freedom, because we have come to the realization that freedom is a gift given to us by God.
there is a popular song from the 60’s that goes like this - “born free, as free as the grass grows, as free as the wind blows, born free to follow your heart”. and that’s the truth, we are born free. this innate gift of freedom includes the ability to make choices. not simply choices like “do i want vanilla or chocolate ice cream” but much greater choices, choices that truly matter – that is the ability to make ethical choices, to be moral agents, the expression of our God-given “free will”. moral choices, unlike choosing between vanilla or chocolate ice cream, affect our lives and the lives of others in deeply meaningful and lasting ways.
one primary moral choice we make is to allow others their right to be free. this is an important point of understanding for those who choose to follow Jesus. in the gospel of luke Jesus reads from the prophet isaiah telling us He is the one anointed "to bring the good news to the poor and to let the oppressed go free", and He tell us “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” in proclaiming this good news Jesus is telling us that we are free, and that no one has the right to oppress God's children or deny our birthright.
this is contrary to the ways of the world, where the powerful and privileged do as they please regardless of how it affects others. it is contrary to popular notions of freedom, which confuse freedom with simply doing your own thing without regard to others. so the freedom Jesus brings is dangerous to cultural assumptions, because Jesus defines freedom, true freedom, as something very different. He is not simply restating the often misunderstood revolutionary motto “don’t tread on me”, rather Jesus is proclaiming that true freedom is found in the motto “don’t tread on others”. because freedom isn’t just recognizing our individual right to make choices for our selves, rather freedom, if its real, allows others the right to determine for themselves which path they will follow.
if in my freedom I am treading on another, than I have become the oppressor, robbing the other of the good news that the Messiah has come to release us from all bondage: including the bondage to customs, and the bondage to self. think about what paul wrote in Galatians “for you were called to freedom but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for selfish indulgence”, because real freedom is found in, and expressed through, making moral choices. we live in a world filled with other creatures, human and animal. we live in a world where every person has been born free, a world where every creature is a child of God. real freedom means recognizing that truth and acting accordingly; “don’t tread on others” because it’s really not all about you.
to our contemporary american ears that might sound a bit off since everything in our consumer culture tells us – "yes freedom is all about you", well all about your indulging yourself in whatever pleasures or pursuits you wish, without regard to there impact on others. typically because someone is making a nice profit off our self-absorption. we have been duped into believing that freedom is the ability to indulge ourselves in whatever external pleasures we will. “don’t tread on me” becomes “I’ll do whatever I wish regardless of how it affects other people or the earth”.
so many of our seemingly harmless self indulgences do negatively impact on the earth and on other people. but if we don't take the time to look we can remain conveniently unaware of it. so much easier to remain unaware and pretend that absolves us from what we do. and if need be we can always point the finger at someone else and wash our hands of the matter. its nice to have someone else to put the blame on, pontius pilate felt the same way.
paul explains what real freedom is- "for the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. sound familiar? perhaps because Jesus said the same thing. real freedom, freedom from customs and self, is found in loving others as an extension of yourself. a radical thought, at least in context of our contemporary consumer-driven lifestyles. paul goes on to warn us if we choice to use our freedom as a pretext for selfishness we will in the end bring about our own ruin and the ruin of others.
so let's celebrate our freedom, and reflect on the freedom Jesus calls us too. not a right or gift we hold to ourselves, but one that all share in by God-given birthright; and let us reflect on the manner and means by which we are living our lives in context of love, remembering, as paul also writes "the only thing that counts is faith working through love". its the only thing that ultimately matters, the only way to really be free and live freely; for in truth “none are free, till all are free”.
© 2011 Halley Low
we can say “don’t tread on me”, “don’t box me in”, “don’t impose your rules on me" because we recognize freedom as a natural right. yet we can only recognize the right to freedom, because we have come to the realization that freedom is a gift given to us by God.
there is a popular song from the 60’s that goes like this - “born free, as free as the grass grows, as free as the wind blows, born free to follow your heart”. and that’s the truth, we are born free. this innate gift of freedom includes the ability to make choices. not simply choices like “do i want vanilla or chocolate ice cream” but much greater choices, choices that truly matter – that is the ability to make ethical choices, to be moral agents, the expression of our God-given “free will”. moral choices, unlike choosing between vanilla or chocolate ice cream, affect our lives and the lives of others in deeply meaningful and lasting ways.
one primary moral choice we make is to allow others their right to be free. this is an important point of understanding for those who choose to follow Jesus. in the gospel of luke Jesus reads from the prophet isaiah telling us He is the one anointed "to bring the good news to the poor and to let the oppressed go free", and He tell us “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” in proclaiming this good news Jesus is telling us that we are free, and that no one has the right to oppress God's children or deny our birthright.
this is contrary to the ways of the world, where the powerful and privileged do as they please regardless of how it affects others. it is contrary to popular notions of freedom, which confuse freedom with simply doing your own thing without regard to others. so the freedom Jesus brings is dangerous to cultural assumptions, because Jesus defines freedom, true freedom, as something very different. He is not simply restating the often misunderstood revolutionary motto “don’t tread on me”, rather Jesus is proclaiming that true freedom is found in the motto “don’t tread on others”. because freedom isn’t just recognizing our individual right to make choices for our selves, rather freedom, if its real, allows others the right to determine for themselves which path they will follow.
if in my freedom I am treading on another, than I have become the oppressor, robbing the other of the good news that the Messiah has come to release us from all bondage: including the bondage to customs, and the bondage to self. think about what paul wrote in Galatians “for you were called to freedom but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for selfish indulgence”, because real freedom is found in, and expressed through, making moral choices. we live in a world filled with other creatures, human and animal. we live in a world where every person has been born free, a world where every creature is a child of God. real freedom means recognizing that truth and acting accordingly; “don’t tread on others” because it’s really not all about you.
to our contemporary american ears that might sound a bit off since everything in our consumer culture tells us – "yes freedom is all about you", well all about your indulging yourself in whatever pleasures or pursuits you wish, without regard to there impact on others. typically because someone is making a nice profit off our self-absorption. we have been duped into believing that freedom is the ability to indulge ourselves in whatever external pleasures we will. “don’t tread on me” becomes “I’ll do whatever I wish regardless of how it affects other people or the earth”.
so many of our seemingly harmless self indulgences do negatively impact on the earth and on other people. but if we don't take the time to look we can remain conveniently unaware of it. so much easier to remain unaware and pretend that absolves us from what we do. and if need be we can always point the finger at someone else and wash our hands of the matter. its nice to have someone else to put the blame on, pontius pilate felt the same way.
paul explains what real freedom is- "for the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. sound familiar? perhaps because Jesus said the same thing. real freedom, freedom from customs and self, is found in loving others as an extension of yourself. a radical thought, at least in context of our contemporary consumer-driven lifestyles. paul goes on to warn us if we choice to use our freedom as a pretext for selfishness we will in the end bring about our own ruin and the ruin of others.
so let's celebrate our freedom, and reflect on the freedom Jesus calls us too. not a right or gift we hold to ourselves, but one that all share in by God-given birthright; and let us reflect on the manner and means by which we are living our lives in context of love, remembering, as paul also writes "the only thing that counts is faith working through love". its the only thing that ultimately matters, the only way to really be free and live freely; for in truth “none are free, till all are free”.
© 2011 Halley Low
Friday, May 6, 2011
the church has no volunteers - oh my
hey, did you hear the news, the church has no volunteers. nope, not a one, what are we going to do??? but don’t be alarmed, there’s nothing to worry about. yep, absolutely nothing to worry about because the church doesn’t need volunteers. the reason for that is because we have more then enough ministers to do all the work of the church.
see my friends, Jesus never called anyone to be a volunteer. in fact you will not find the word “volunteer” in any of the gospels in the new testament. Jesus doesn’t want volunteers. The army and rotary club call for volunteers, but Jesus calls disciples.
a disciple is someone who response to Jesus’ call to follow Him, in fact that’s what the word disciple means – one who follows. and Jesus calls His disciples to follow His example. there's a story in john’s gospel where Jesus washes the feet of His followers and says to them, “I have given you example, do as I have done - serve one another.”
Jesus came as a servant to humanity, and bids us to follow Him and become servants too. so if you are a follower (disciple) of Christ, then you are a servant too. and did you know that the word “minister” comes from the Latin “to serve”, so a minister is a servant, and all Christ’s true followers are therefore ministers. yep, the church is chock full of ministers – me, you, the guy who sits next to you in the pew, the woman handing you the hammer at a mission project, the girl standing next to you in the praise band or choir, all of us – ministers of Christ, called to serve one another, and to serve God by participating in God's work of healing our broken hearts and broken world.
so the next time someone asks you to volunteer to do something for the church, just tell them, “sorry i’m not a volunteer, i’m a minister of Christ - so what is it you need me to do?”
© 2011 Halley Low
see my friends, Jesus never called anyone to be a volunteer. in fact you will not find the word “volunteer” in any of the gospels in the new testament. Jesus doesn’t want volunteers. The army and rotary club call for volunteers, but Jesus calls disciples.
a disciple is someone who response to Jesus’ call to follow Him, in fact that’s what the word disciple means – one who follows. and Jesus calls His disciples to follow His example. there's a story in john’s gospel where Jesus washes the feet of His followers and says to them, “I have given you example, do as I have done - serve one another.”
Jesus came as a servant to humanity, and bids us to follow Him and become servants too. so if you are a follower (disciple) of Christ, then you are a servant too. and did you know that the word “minister” comes from the Latin “to serve”, so a minister is a servant, and all Christ’s true followers are therefore ministers. yep, the church is chock full of ministers – me, you, the guy who sits next to you in the pew, the woman handing you the hammer at a mission project, the girl standing next to you in the praise band or choir, all of us – ministers of Christ, called to serve one another, and to serve God by participating in God's work of healing our broken hearts and broken world.
so the next time someone asks you to volunteer to do something for the church, just tell them, “sorry i’m not a volunteer, i’m a minister of Christ - so what is it you need me to do?”
© 2011 Halley Low
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
living outside the cocoon
life in Christ is like the life of a caterpillar after it emerges from it’s cocoon transformed into something new and beautiful. the transformation takes place within the silent stillness of the cocoon, but if the caterpillar doesn’t brake out of the cocoon and fly up into the sunlight, the beauty of its wings will never be realized, and the freedom of its new life never experienced. it will never embrace the flowers, drinking of their nectar and assisting them in their process of pollination. if it chooses to stay in the silent safety of the cocoon the caterpillar will have only lived half a life. if it chooses to stay in the cocoon it will separate itself from life and die of hunger.
sadly, too many people follow the path of the reluctant caterpillar, crawling along until they find a comfortable spot then wrapping themselves in a private cocoon. within their personal cocoon they “get stuck”, perhaps by fear or hurt, yet whatever the reason their transformation stops short of realization, and inwardly they die of hunger a little more each day.
this is sad, for Christ came that we might have “life abundantly”. through His resurrection Jesus broke out of the cocoon and bids us to follow Him into the process of living abundantly; as life in abundance can only be lived outside of the cocoon. to stay in the cocoon is to remain separated and isolated, to live outside the cocoon is to live in connection and relationship.
living in connection is living in reciprocity. living in connection with the whole of creation means being part of something greater than oneself. living in connection with God empowers us to move from one point of being to a new point of being progressively, and not just for our individual sakes but for all that we touch in the interactive process of living in Christ. think about the butterfly, it takes life in the form of nectar from the flower and gives new life in the form of pollination to flowers yet to unfold. this is Christ’s invitation to all people – to break out of the old, to live boldly in the new, to take each moment as an opportunity to give and through the giving received more then we had before.
the essence of a christian life is a life that is connected, interactive and inter-dependent. no one can be a christian in isolation. Jesus didn’t come to guide us in a way of individualistic or narcissistic mysticism; He came to create a new and universal community, to open eyes that have been blinded by self-centeredness in order to see the glory of God that surrounds us and to take part in that glory, to heal hearts of loneliness by giving of Himself that we may have life and have it abundantly.
living in Christ is not about sitting in the corner reciting “praise Jesus” all day, rather living in Christ is about engaging life in all its grandeur, and even its brokenness, for engagement is true praise. living in Christ is about being part of the process of healing and transformation that flows from the heart of God manifesting in our actions. this is why when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were waiting for Him, He responded “my mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” the word of God is active and creative and calls us to action, not to standing about waiting, but to be connected to the work of God – for God’s word and God’s work are one. “be not a hearer of the word but a doer”, follow Jesus out of the cocoon and live connected that you may have an abundant life; remembering that abundance is not about quantity but quality. for as a wise man said long ago – “it is in giving that we receive, in forgiving that we are forgiven, and in dying to self that be are born to true life”.
© 2011 Halley Low
sadly, too many people follow the path of the reluctant caterpillar, crawling along until they find a comfortable spot then wrapping themselves in a private cocoon. within their personal cocoon they “get stuck”, perhaps by fear or hurt, yet whatever the reason their transformation stops short of realization, and inwardly they die of hunger a little more each day.
this is sad, for Christ came that we might have “life abundantly”. through His resurrection Jesus broke out of the cocoon and bids us to follow Him into the process of living abundantly; as life in abundance can only be lived outside of the cocoon. to stay in the cocoon is to remain separated and isolated, to live outside the cocoon is to live in connection and relationship.
living in connection is living in reciprocity. living in connection with the whole of creation means being part of something greater than oneself. living in connection with God empowers us to move from one point of being to a new point of being progressively, and not just for our individual sakes but for all that we touch in the interactive process of living in Christ. think about the butterfly, it takes life in the form of nectar from the flower and gives new life in the form of pollination to flowers yet to unfold. this is Christ’s invitation to all people – to break out of the old, to live boldly in the new, to take each moment as an opportunity to give and through the giving received more then we had before.
the essence of a christian life is a life that is connected, interactive and inter-dependent. no one can be a christian in isolation. Jesus didn’t come to guide us in a way of individualistic or narcissistic mysticism; He came to create a new and universal community, to open eyes that have been blinded by self-centeredness in order to see the glory of God that surrounds us and to take part in that glory, to heal hearts of loneliness by giving of Himself that we may have life and have it abundantly.
living in Christ is not about sitting in the corner reciting “praise Jesus” all day, rather living in Christ is about engaging life in all its grandeur, and even its brokenness, for engagement is true praise. living in Christ is about being part of the process of healing and transformation that flows from the heart of God manifesting in our actions. this is why when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were waiting for Him, He responded “my mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” the word of God is active and creative and calls us to action, not to standing about waiting, but to be connected to the work of God – for God’s word and God’s work are one. “be not a hearer of the word but a doer”, follow Jesus out of the cocoon and live connected that you may have an abundant life; remembering that abundance is not about quantity but quality. for as a wise man said long ago – “it is in giving that we receive, in forgiving that we are forgiven, and in dying to self that be are born to true life”.
© 2011 Halley Low
Saturday, April 23, 2011
an easter people
we say - "Jesus Christ is risen, He is risen indeed". we say it every easter. and we profess to be - "an easter people", meaning a people of new life, risen life, a people who are free thanks to our risen Savior. this is our faith, this is our hope, that through the rising of Jesus we are part of a new creation, participants in the unfolding kingdom of God, which Jesus declared is within us. and on easter day we proclaim all this in song and prayer with boldness.
then monday comes, then tuesday, and for many of us the bold proclamations about Christ our risen Lord, and our bold assertions about being an easter people become private murmurs, and even sometimes fade with the setting sun of doubt.
why does our boldness fade and our doubt resound? if asked this to our face, most of us would proclaim again with our lips – "Christ is risen, he is risen indeed. we are an easter people". but, so long as we are not asked, not challenged, not put on the spot to profess our belief, well, for most of us, we just don’t talk about it much, and frankly don’t live it very much. i mean live as an easter people, a people rising in new life.
the symbol of the butterfly emerging from the safety of the cocoon has a long tradition in the church. it's such a perfect natural analogy for the resurrection – the ordinary caterpillar encased in a cocoon, all brown and still and seemingly lifeless; meanwhile deep within a transformation is unfolding, a miracle which no eyes can see happens in the silent darkness; than suddenly the seemingly hard shell of the cocoon is ruptured, and one of God’s most inspiring creatures ascends into the air.
but what happens to the caterpillar who remains within the seeming safety of the cocoon, who is unwilling or unable to break through? we all know what happened don’t we, the caterpillar is dead, and the cocoon – the miraculous womb of transformation - has indeed become a tomb.
sadly, just as with the caterpillar, this happens with christians too. wrapped in the seeming safety of a comfortable building, be it a home or a sanctuary, we remain unwilling to break through the boundaries, choosing instead to remain where we are, in seeming security, apart from the world, apart from each other, apart from ourselves, and even apart from God. oh we love God and we say we believe, but please don’t push me out of my comfort zone, please don’t ask me to see things in a different light, as my comfort zone is tight but seems manageable, and my eyes have become so accustomed to the dim light of my insecure faith that I dare not open myself to the light of the Spirit, lest I be moved, in particular moved out of my comfort zone and into the new day with its uncomfortable bright light.
think a moment, what if Jesus had chosen that path. imagine if lying in the cool dark tomb Jesus decided to stay put. after all, hadn’t he had just about as much as any one could take of the human race, and our double dealing and double standards? Why should he risk, again, to go back into the world and speak to hearts and heal wounds, a world who didn’t understand him, a world that was afraid of him because he challenged the world to see things in a different light? What if he decided “oh the heck with it and the heck with them, I’m staying put, its been a long and truly exhausting day and my feet hurt. nevermind my aching hands and the pain in my side.”
yeah i know, it’s a funny thought, but what if he decided to stay in the tomb. to not risk it again. after all He didn’t have to rise, in fact He didn’t have to die, or even be born. God isn’t under compulsion, God doesn’t have to do anything (even though quite a number of us think and act as if God is somehow obligated to do whatever we ask, and for some reason destined to give us more than we have already received) yet in truth, despite our grandiose assumptions, God don’t have to do nuttin’. God doesn’t have to give us life or salvation, and just because God is eternal is no reason that we have to be eternal.
yet…God chooses to do something: God chose to be born as one of us, and God chose to die with us, and God chose to rise up to new and transformed life so that through Him we may rise and be made new. and not just in some distant, or not so distant, future, but in the here and now, in this life, in this very moment, to create a new day, to proclaim as living reality a new kingdom of mercy and love, to call a people to His cross and ask us to share in His cross that we may share in His new life, to break free of the tomb of self-righteousness, and fly free and beautiful - like a butterfly.
meanwhile so many of us, His easter people, are unwilling to follow Him out of the tomb and into the glorious new light. why? why do we choose to claim Him as our Lord, yet live our lives relatively unchanged, still absorbed in our personal pursuits and our cultural bias, not willing to risk, but content to roll that stone right back over our tombs?
in john’s gospel we encounter three people willing to look into Jesus' tomb and witness the miracle that it had in fact become a womb. isn’t it interesting that of the three, which included the one Jesus loved and the one whom Jesus said “upon this rock a will build my church”, the first one Jesus appears too, the first one Jesus makes the miracle of the tomb become a womb clear too - is a woman; and not just any woman but one who had been greatly troubled, or as the scriptures read “plagued by seven evil spirits”. think about the cultural realities of that time – a woman, whom a man is not suppose to speak too, a troubled woman who had been shunned by many, this person of all people is the first Jesus chose to reveal His risen Self too. and not only reveal Himself but commission her to go forth and tell others of this great event. He stepped out of the tomb and directly into the proverbial frying pan, breaking both the chains of death and the chains of convention. nature says “all things die” Jesus says “not die, transform”. society says “propriety”, Jesus says “honesty”. nature says “it is what it is”, Jesus says “it is as the Father wills”. society says “the status quo is the way to go”, Jesus says “the status quo has got to go”.
and yet even today there are those in the church that attempt to use "tradition" as a tomb in which to kept things mummified. they say “women in the pulpit, outrageous”. yet it was a woman entrusted to be the first to proclaim the good news. it was a woman who was told ““I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”. His Father is her father, His God her God. i am reminded of another story from the Hebrew scriptures – the story of ruth and naomi, which is a story about an adoptive family. ruth, as a sign of her love and devotion to her adoptive mother, says to naomi “your people will be my people, your God my God” – a declaration of the creation of a new family. And here in john's gospel Jesus speaks to a woman, telling her the same thing ruth spoke to Naomi – you have been adopted into a new family - the family of God in Christ.
now in the book of acts, peter - the rock, so named for the rocks in his head, had a vision in which the Holy Spirit breaks open his rock head that he may perceive the great truth – that faith in the risen Christ is not the exclusive domain of the jews, or men, or a select few, but is to be witnessed to all; and all who accept the Lordship of Jesus may walk out of the tomb of self-satisfaction and into the faith that inspires a new dawn within the heart of the believer. Think about the profundity of peter speaking the truth unveiled to him by the Spirit saying “i truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. you know the message God sent to the people of Israel…Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all…we are witnesses…chosen by God … that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”
now peter could have remained in the tomb of his ancestors, he could have clung to the seeming safety of this cultural bias that cloaked itself as religious imperative; but prompted by the Holy Spirit he emerged from the boundaries of cultural and religious tradition, and became a free man by proclaiming the truth of the freedom that is open to all in Jesus Christ.
now the Spirit is still with us, the Spirit is still prompting us to new visions and to dream new dreams, as proclaimed by the prophets of old. will we remain unmoved in the safety of our cultural and religious cocoons. or will we take the risk, as peter did, and break out of the bonds of tradition into the new and different light of God’s unfolding kingdom? only you can answer Christ’s call to new life, only you, by surrender to the power of the Spirit, can break free of the chains that bind you and fly, as a butterfly, into the light of the new day – the day of Christ our risen Lord, and boldly live as the easter people we proclaim ourselves to be this day. and not only for today, but also for monday and tuesday and everyday of our lives, in this world and the next.
glory be to God and to our risen Savior and to the Transforming Spirit, and the easter people of God say – AMEN!
© 2011 Halley Low
then monday comes, then tuesday, and for many of us the bold proclamations about Christ our risen Lord, and our bold assertions about being an easter people become private murmurs, and even sometimes fade with the setting sun of doubt.
why does our boldness fade and our doubt resound? if asked this to our face, most of us would proclaim again with our lips – "Christ is risen, he is risen indeed. we are an easter people". but, so long as we are not asked, not challenged, not put on the spot to profess our belief, well, for most of us, we just don’t talk about it much, and frankly don’t live it very much. i mean live as an easter people, a people rising in new life.
the symbol of the butterfly emerging from the safety of the cocoon has a long tradition in the church. it's such a perfect natural analogy for the resurrection – the ordinary caterpillar encased in a cocoon, all brown and still and seemingly lifeless; meanwhile deep within a transformation is unfolding, a miracle which no eyes can see happens in the silent darkness; than suddenly the seemingly hard shell of the cocoon is ruptured, and one of God’s most inspiring creatures ascends into the air.
but what happens to the caterpillar who remains within the seeming safety of the cocoon, who is unwilling or unable to break through? we all know what happened don’t we, the caterpillar is dead, and the cocoon – the miraculous womb of transformation - has indeed become a tomb.
sadly, just as with the caterpillar, this happens with christians too. wrapped in the seeming safety of a comfortable building, be it a home or a sanctuary, we remain unwilling to break through the boundaries, choosing instead to remain where we are, in seeming security, apart from the world, apart from each other, apart from ourselves, and even apart from God. oh we love God and we say we believe, but please don’t push me out of my comfort zone, please don’t ask me to see things in a different light, as my comfort zone is tight but seems manageable, and my eyes have become so accustomed to the dim light of my insecure faith that I dare not open myself to the light of the Spirit, lest I be moved, in particular moved out of my comfort zone and into the new day with its uncomfortable bright light.
think a moment, what if Jesus had chosen that path. imagine if lying in the cool dark tomb Jesus decided to stay put. after all, hadn’t he had just about as much as any one could take of the human race, and our double dealing and double standards? Why should he risk, again, to go back into the world and speak to hearts and heal wounds, a world who didn’t understand him, a world that was afraid of him because he challenged the world to see things in a different light? What if he decided “oh the heck with it and the heck with them, I’m staying put, its been a long and truly exhausting day and my feet hurt. nevermind my aching hands and the pain in my side.”
yeah i know, it’s a funny thought, but what if he decided to stay in the tomb. to not risk it again. after all He didn’t have to rise, in fact He didn’t have to die, or even be born. God isn’t under compulsion, God doesn’t have to do anything (even though quite a number of us think and act as if God is somehow obligated to do whatever we ask, and for some reason destined to give us more than we have already received) yet in truth, despite our grandiose assumptions, God don’t have to do nuttin’. God doesn’t have to give us life or salvation, and just because God is eternal is no reason that we have to be eternal.
yet…God chooses to do something: God chose to be born as one of us, and God chose to die with us, and God chose to rise up to new and transformed life so that through Him we may rise and be made new. and not just in some distant, or not so distant, future, but in the here and now, in this life, in this very moment, to create a new day, to proclaim as living reality a new kingdom of mercy and love, to call a people to His cross and ask us to share in His cross that we may share in His new life, to break free of the tomb of self-righteousness, and fly free and beautiful - like a butterfly.
meanwhile so many of us, His easter people, are unwilling to follow Him out of the tomb and into the glorious new light. why? why do we choose to claim Him as our Lord, yet live our lives relatively unchanged, still absorbed in our personal pursuits and our cultural bias, not willing to risk, but content to roll that stone right back over our tombs?
in john’s gospel we encounter three people willing to look into Jesus' tomb and witness the miracle that it had in fact become a womb. isn’t it interesting that of the three, which included the one Jesus loved and the one whom Jesus said “upon this rock a will build my church”, the first one Jesus appears too, the first one Jesus makes the miracle of the tomb become a womb clear too - is a woman; and not just any woman but one who had been greatly troubled, or as the scriptures read “plagued by seven evil spirits”. think about the cultural realities of that time – a woman, whom a man is not suppose to speak too, a troubled woman who had been shunned by many, this person of all people is the first Jesus chose to reveal His risen Self too. and not only reveal Himself but commission her to go forth and tell others of this great event. He stepped out of the tomb and directly into the proverbial frying pan, breaking both the chains of death and the chains of convention. nature says “all things die” Jesus says “not die, transform”. society says “propriety”, Jesus says “honesty”. nature says “it is what it is”, Jesus says “it is as the Father wills”. society says “the status quo is the way to go”, Jesus says “the status quo has got to go”.
and yet even today there are those in the church that attempt to use "tradition" as a tomb in which to kept things mummified. they say “women in the pulpit, outrageous”. yet it was a woman entrusted to be the first to proclaim the good news. it was a woman who was told ““I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”. His Father is her father, His God her God. i am reminded of another story from the Hebrew scriptures – the story of ruth and naomi, which is a story about an adoptive family. ruth, as a sign of her love and devotion to her adoptive mother, says to naomi “your people will be my people, your God my God” – a declaration of the creation of a new family. And here in john's gospel Jesus speaks to a woman, telling her the same thing ruth spoke to Naomi – you have been adopted into a new family - the family of God in Christ.
now in the book of acts, peter - the rock, so named for the rocks in his head, had a vision in which the Holy Spirit breaks open his rock head that he may perceive the great truth – that faith in the risen Christ is not the exclusive domain of the jews, or men, or a select few, but is to be witnessed to all; and all who accept the Lordship of Jesus may walk out of the tomb of self-satisfaction and into the faith that inspires a new dawn within the heart of the believer. Think about the profundity of peter speaking the truth unveiled to him by the Spirit saying “i truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him. you know the message God sent to the people of Israel…Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all…we are witnesses…chosen by God … that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”
now peter could have remained in the tomb of his ancestors, he could have clung to the seeming safety of this cultural bias that cloaked itself as religious imperative; but prompted by the Holy Spirit he emerged from the boundaries of cultural and religious tradition, and became a free man by proclaiming the truth of the freedom that is open to all in Jesus Christ.
now the Spirit is still with us, the Spirit is still prompting us to new visions and to dream new dreams, as proclaimed by the prophets of old. will we remain unmoved in the safety of our cultural and religious cocoons. or will we take the risk, as peter did, and break out of the bonds of tradition into the new and different light of God’s unfolding kingdom? only you can answer Christ’s call to new life, only you, by surrender to the power of the Spirit, can break free of the chains that bind you and fly, as a butterfly, into the light of the new day – the day of Christ our risen Lord, and boldly live as the easter people we proclaim ourselves to be this day. and not only for today, but also for monday and tuesday and everyday of our lives, in this world and the next.
glory be to God and to our risen Savior and to the Transforming Spirit, and the easter people of God say – AMEN!
© 2011 Halley Low
Sunday, April 3, 2011
be like water (a pictorial essay)
the taoist say "the highest form of goodness is like water".
"water knows how to benefit all things" it does not strive with them, nor does it resist anything, it just flows,
and accomplishes its goal.
water is like the Spirit, it transforms and makes new.
the taoist say "heaven lasts long, and the earth abides...because
they do not live for themselves".
francis of assisi taught "it is in giving we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned, and in dying that we are born to life".
be like water,
be for others, and become your true self.
©2011 halley low
"water knows how to benefit all things" it does not strive with them, nor does it resist anything, it just flows,
and accomplishes its goal.
water is like the Spirit, it transforms and makes new.
they do not live for themselves".
francis of assisi taught "it is in giving we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned, and in dying that we are born to life".
be like water,
be for others, and become your true self.
©2011 halley low
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
patience
it's the end of march, yet up here in the mountains the snow lingers and the wind still stings like the touch of ice. the fields remain brown, and i have yet to see a single crocus. so where is my beloved spring, where are it's renewing sights?
yet on this morning, this very ordinary morning, something is decidedly different. the winter mornings in the the mountains are as silent as snowfall. but not this morning! the air is electric with the soothing songs of the returning birds. my soul rejoices as i sit in my armchair, eyes closed, just listening to spring's sweet symphony.
the sounds prompt me to look again for the sights of spring, and with renewed hope my eyes see the buds beginning to emerge on the trees and lilac bushes. looking more closely at the brown fields i notice tiny hints of green. and the lingering snow is slowly melting, and the icy winds are transforming too. taking the time to listen and look with patience, i am assured that indeed spring is here.
©2011 Halley Low
yet on this morning, this very ordinary morning, something is decidedly different. the winter mornings in the the mountains are as silent as snowfall. but not this morning! the air is electric with the soothing songs of the returning birds. my soul rejoices as i sit in my armchair, eyes closed, just listening to spring's sweet symphony.
the sounds prompt me to look again for the sights of spring, and with renewed hope my eyes see the buds beginning to emerge on the trees and lilac bushes. looking more closely at the brown fields i notice tiny hints of green. and the lingering snow is slowly melting, and the icy winds are transforming too. taking the time to listen and look with patience, i am assured that indeed spring is here.
©2011 Halley Low
Sunday, March 20, 2011
don't give up, live up
(a lenten reflection)
lent is the time of year that many christians devote to spiritual preparation for the world altering event of good friday and easter sunday. for many that preparation is found in the act of giving up something, typically a physical enjoyment of some kind, as a sign of sacrifice and connecting with the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. Jesus did tell us to "denial yourself and pick up your cross". this directive is about moving away from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, just as Jesus laid down His life for others on the cross so that others might have the fullness of life. the tradition of "giving up" something for lent in rooted in this idea.
yet for many the "giving up" of something they like has become the exact opposite of the intention. how many of us have said, "i'm gonna give up sugar/ice cream/white flour/etc. for lent? we use lent as a reason to get our diet on track, to lose weight, or some other personal vanity. what happens to "sacrifice" when it is covertly used for selfish pursuits? remember the words of the prophet isaiah - " look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight...such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. is such the fast that I choose...a day acceptable to the Lord? is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your homes?"
God isn't calling us to "give up" but to "live up". live up to our call as disciples of Christ. live up to the commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves". so instead of "sacrifices" that benefit our vanities, why not choose to use lent as a time for true preparation by living up to the call. maybe you will be drawn to visit a nursing home once a week, or to set time aside each day for bible study, or to put aside a dollar a day and on easter offer it to those in greatest need, or any number of actions that foster growth in the christian life. why not choose to put down the mask of "godliness" and pick up the crown of life, polishing it a bit with acts of kindness and love. this is the fast God desires - to be a blessing to others as a sign of the blessing you have received in Christ.
©2011 halley low
lent is the time of year that many christians devote to spiritual preparation for the world altering event of good friday and easter sunday. for many that preparation is found in the act of giving up something, typically a physical enjoyment of some kind, as a sign of sacrifice and connecting with the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. Jesus did tell us to "denial yourself and pick up your cross". this directive is about moving away from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, just as Jesus laid down His life for others on the cross so that others might have the fullness of life. the tradition of "giving up" something for lent in rooted in this idea.
yet for many the "giving up" of something they like has become the exact opposite of the intention. how many of us have said, "i'm gonna give up sugar/ice cream/white flour/etc. for lent? we use lent as a reason to get our diet on track, to lose weight, or some other personal vanity. what happens to "sacrifice" when it is covertly used for selfish pursuits? remember the words of the prophet isaiah - " look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight...such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. is such the fast that I choose...a day acceptable to the Lord? is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your homes?"
God isn't calling us to "give up" but to "live up". live up to our call as disciples of Christ. live up to the commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves". so instead of "sacrifices" that benefit our vanities, why not choose to use lent as a time for true preparation by living up to the call. maybe you will be drawn to visit a nursing home once a week, or to set time aside each day for bible study, or to put aside a dollar a day and on easter offer it to those in greatest need, or any number of actions that foster growth in the christian life. why not choose to put down the mask of "godliness" and pick up the crown of life, polishing it a bit with acts of kindness and love. this is the fast God desires - to be a blessing to others as a sign of the blessing you have received in Christ.
©2011 halley low
Monday, March 14, 2011
rainy days and mondays
a quiet morning, from my office window i can see the snow lightly falling, the flakes bouncing about in the gusty wind. the sky is gray and blanketed in clouds. a seemingly peaceful moment, coffee in hand, yet i can not stop wondering about japan, and how this tragedy has become a global crisis demanding global conversation and action.
throughout our conversations it is necessary to be mindful of the true nature of the global crisis unfolding in japan. the earthquake and its consequences are terrible, though japan has dealt with this before only to survive and thrive. what is different this time, what really threatens japan in the long run, what really threatens the globe in the long run, is what happens to those three reactors. the crisis is not from nature's hand or God's, but from the hand of humanity.
and if you are looking for God in all this, do not look for God in the fury of the wave, rather be elijah and discern God's movement in the reviving breeze. God is the God of the living, the God of life, who always chooses life and directs us to do the same (deuteronomy 30:19). God is always for us. let us be with God, Who is with us, and in wisdom serve God and love our neighbor by doing the right thing.
©2011 halley low
throughout our conversations it is necessary to be mindful of the true nature of the global crisis unfolding in japan. the earthquake and its consequences are terrible, though japan has dealt with this before only to survive and thrive. what is different this time, what really threatens japan in the long run, what really threatens the globe in the long run, is what happens to those three reactors. the crisis is not from nature's hand or God's, but from the hand of humanity.
and if you are looking for God in all this, do not look for God in the fury of the wave, rather be elijah and discern God's movement in the reviving breeze. God is the God of the living, the God of life, who always chooses life and directs us to do the same (deuteronomy 30:19). God is always for us. let us be with God, Who is with us, and in wisdom serve God and love our neighbor by doing the right thing.
©2011 halley low
Thursday, February 17, 2011
suicide is not painless
for those who may be unaware, feb. 22nd is national suicide awareness day. there are many reasons people of all ages attempt, and sometimes tragically succeed at, taking their own lives. i am not writing about the statistics, or how we can be of help to someone struggling with overwhelming emotional pain (for reflections on that regard see - the wounds that bind us, a God for failures, moments to live by). today i am writing to those who have lost a loved one to suicide, and to clergy and lay pastors.
both those who have lost someone to suicide, and clergy, struggle with the pain and confusion of the act of suicide. we may wonder to ourselves - "is suicide a sin?" "does a person go automatically to hell if he/she commits suicide?" let us honestly look at these related but very different questions. though before we do i want to be clear on one point, i am addressing suicide not euthanasia, we are not exploring issues of end-of-life decisions in this reflection, but suicide as an action taken in response to overwhelming despair and depression.
first, "is suicide a sin?" life is a great gift, more precious than gold or diamonds, and far more fragile than either of them. human life has a value beyond human measurement. to needlessly take a life is indeed a sin against the individual whose life has been cut short, and against the community who share in that life, and against God who gives life. so in that sense suicide is a sin.
now to the more pressing and painful question - "does a person enter eternal damnation if he/she commits suicide?" to begin with, there is nothing in the scriptures which states that God's love or mercy or forgiveness ends at the time of death. God is not bound by time. time, like all things, is a creation of God and God is not subject to creation. therefore, no one can rightly dictate what God will do, and no one can rightly limit when God can do whatever God wills to do. what we do know is that God is merciful and compassionate, and that God's compassion is "from ever-lasting to ever-lasting". we do know that God sees into the human heart, which is why God is the judge and we are not. we know that God is with us every moment, in our joys and sorrows, in our successes and our failures, in all things God is present with us.
do you think that in our times of greatest despair that God forsakes us? some traditions hold the reason suicide is a sin is because it is an act of despair and that despair is a sin. even if despair were a sin, and not a temporary emotional state of being, does that mean God steps out of the picture at that point? if one answers "yes" to that question then everything i wrote above, no matter how biblical it all is, is wrong. it would mean that God's compassion is limited, and that God is not with us always, and that frankly is blasphemy. if God abandoned us everytime we sinned, (and face it we are always sinning in one way or another), then we would be utterly without hope and already living in an unending state of "hell".
consider the words of paul, which he wrote during a time of great suffering in his life - "for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself." paul was so overwhelmed with despair that he felt it a "sentence of death". he goes on to write - "He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on Him we have set our hope that He will rescue us again". if God had abandoned paul because of his great despair then he would have had no hope. but paul did have hope because he knew that God is with us always and in everything, offering to rescue us again and again.
now paul was a man of great faith and insight, but do you suppose God has less or more compassion for those whose faith is weak or sight is poor? do we not proclaim that God sent His Son while we were "still yet sinners"? did not Jesus say that He came for the sick and the poor? did john not write "my little children, i am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."? did not paul also tell us that no thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ?
for a moment really try to imagine yourself in such a state of pain and at such a point of despair that suicide makes sense to you. imagine the intensity of the loneliness, the enclosing darkness, the dizzying sense of hopelessness and contradiction and confusion. imagine yourself so enveloped in such a state, that you become completely out of touch with yourself, with other people, and even with God, so that you can not see any light towards which you can crawl.
now i ask you, would the God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to save us, and not to condemn us, walk out on you at that moment? absolutely not. it is in those moments of great struggle and those times of greatest failure that God is holding us most tenderly, and crying, as only a mother who loves her children unconditionally would do, as only a God whose love is steadfast and whose mercy endures forever can do.
no one can know the fate of another, but we do know that God is compassionate and merciful, and that our hope in Jesus Christ is true and real. We know also that God is not bound by time nor are God's acts of mercy and love.
those entrusted with the duty to proclaim the good news, most particularly clergy and lay pastors, be sure you are proclaiming the good news. for if you are proclaiming judgment then you are claiming for yourself the position of judge. and if you declare condemnation, take care that you are not condemning yourself. for the truth is God is the judge, the only one fit to be judge, for God alone looks into the heart with eyes of infinite wisdom and compassion. if you think that talk of condemnation will keep some one else from committing suicide you are wrong, for such talk denies hope, and to deny hope is to deny Christ.
therefore, ministers of God when you speak to the living about their dead take care not to mistake "your truth" for the truth. be sure to think and pray before you speak, "for truth without compassion is brutality". if ever people need to hear the good news it is at such a time as this - the good news of the real and living hope we have in Jesus, and the truth that no thing in heaven or on earth can ever separate us from the love of God.
©2011 halley low
both those who have lost someone to suicide, and clergy, struggle with the pain and confusion of the act of suicide. we may wonder to ourselves - "is suicide a sin?" "does a person go automatically to hell if he/she commits suicide?" let us honestly look at these related but very different questions. though before we do i want to be clear on one point, i am addressing suicide not euthanasia, we are not exploring issues of end-of-life decisions in this reflection, but suicide as an action taken in response to overwhelming despair and depression.
first, "is suicide a sin?" life is a great gift, more precious than gold or diamonds, and far more fragile than either of them. human life has a value beyond human measurement. to needlessly take a life is indeed a sin against the individual whose life has been cut short, and against the community who share in that life, and against God who gives life. so in that sense suicide is a sin.
now to the more pressing and painful question - "does a person enter eternal damnation if he/she commits suicide?" to begin with, there is nothing in the scriptures which states that God's love or mercy or forgiveness ends at the time of death. God is not bound by time. time, like all things, is a creation of God and God is not subject to creation. therefore, no one can rightly dictate what God will do, and no one can rightly limit when God can do whatever God wills to do. what we do know is that God is merciful and compassionate, and that God's compassion is "from ever-lasting to ever-lasting". we do know that God sees into the human heart, which is why God is the judge and we are not. we know that God is with us every moment, in our joys and sorrows, in our successes and our failures, in all things God is present with us.
do you think that in our times of greatest despair that God forsakes us? some traditions hold the reason suicide is a sin is because it is an act of despair and that despair is a sin. even if despair were a sin, and not a temporary emotional state of being, does that mean God steps out of the picture at that point? if one answers "yes" to that question then everything i wrote above, no matter how biblical it all is, is wrong. it would mean that God's compassion is limited, and that God is not with us always, and that frankly is blasphemy. if God abandoned us everytime we sinned, (and face it we are always sinning in one way or another), then we would be utterly without hope and already living in an unending state of "hell".
consider the words of paul, which he wrote during a time of great suffering in his life - "for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself." paul was so overwhelmed with despair that he felt it a "sentence of death". he goes on to write - "He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on Him we have set our hope that He will rescue us again". if God had abandoned paul because of his great despair then he would have had no hope. but paul did have hope because he knew that God is with us always and in everything, offering to rescue us again and again.
now paul was a man of great faith and insight, but do you suppose God has less or more compassion for those whose faith is weak or sight is poor? do we not proclaim that God sent His Son while we were "still yet sinners"? did not Jesus say that He came for the sick and the poor? did john not write "my little children, i am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."? did not paul also tell us that no thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ?
for a moment really try to imagine yourself in such a state of pain and at such a point of despair that suicide makes sense to you. imagine the intensity of the loneliness, the enclosing darkness, the dizzying sense of hopelessness and contradiction and confusion. imagine yourself so enveloped in such a state, that you become completely out of touch with yourself, with other people, and even with God, so that you can not see any light towards which you can crawl.
now i ask you, would the God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to save us, and not to condemn us, walk out on you at that moment? absolutely not. it is in those moments of great struggle and those times of greatest failure that God is holding us most tenderly, and crying, as only a mother who loves her children unconditionally would do, as only a God whose love is steadfast and whose mercy endures forever can do.
no one can know the fate of another, but we do know that God is compassionate and merciful, and that our hope in Jesus Christ is true and real. We know also that God is not bound by time nor are God's acts of mercy and love.
those entrusted with the duty to proclaim the good news, most particularly clergy and lay pastors, be sure you are proclaiming the good news. for if you are proclaiming judgment then you are claiming for yourself the position of judge. and if you declare condemnation, take care that you are not condemning yourself. for the truth is God is the judge, the only one fit to be judge, for God alone looks into the heart with eyes of infinite wisdom and compassion. if you think that talk of condemnation will keep some one else from committing suicide you are wrong, for such talk denies hope, and to deny hope is to deny Christ.
therefore, ministers of God when you speak to the living about their dead take care not to mistake "your truth" for the truth. be sure to think and pray before you speak, "for truth without compassion is brutality". if ever people need to hear the good news it is at such a time as this - the good news of the real and living hope we have in Jesus, and the truth that no thing in heaven or on earth can ever separate us from the love of God.
©2011 halley low
Friday, December 24, 2010
santa is not the enemy (a Christmas eve reflection)
all throughout the Christmas season we hear some people grumble “remember the reason for the season, remember the reason for the season”, because they are concerned that all the lights and glitter, the trees and gifts, and especially santa claus, will distract us from the reason for the season. now their concern is not without merit, we do become distracted, yet the truth is that the root of that distraction is not to be found in the lights or trees or even santa claus. the truth is all these things that seem to distract us from the reason for the season are simply reminders of the true reason for the season.
so if they are reminders then how is it they distract us? the truth is that they, in and of themselves, don’t distract us. all of these holiday traditions (regardless of their origin) serve us as reminders of the great event of God coming to be with us as one of us. look at the Christmas tree, its an evergreen - yes? why do we use an evergreen and not an oak or maple? because the pine tree is a reminder of Christ, who is evergreen, and a reminder of the eternal life He gives us; the evergreen is always present to us in its living greenness just as Christ is always present to us. so look at the tree and see it as it really is, and then you will see Christ! and what of the lights that decorate the tree, are they simply meant to be pretty distractions from the truth, or do they remind us that He is the Light of the world, and all the little lights speak to us of our little lights that shine in unity with Him.
and the gifts we give to one another are reminders of the Great Gift God have given us in Jesus Christ. we can lose sight of that fact easily if we allow selfishness and greed to rule our hearts. But whose fault is that, the gifts or our hearts? What are we teaching our children about the act of giving when all the importance is placed on the pleasure of receiving things they want, above the joy found in sharing of ourselves that is the reciprocity of giving and receiving? this joy is a reflection of the joy God has in giving Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ, through whom we are received back into the fullness of God’s life. perceive the truth – that to give is to receive, and to receive is to give.
and what of santa, who of all the things that we grumble over we grumble most about him. we blame him for distracting us from the reason for the season. but my friends, who does santa represent? does he not speak to us of the kindly Father, who loves the world so much, that despite snow or storm comes to us and gives us the gift we are most in need of? that is the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
in truth none of these things blind us to the reason for the season, what blinds us is ourselves, and our poverty of spirit that causes us not to see the reminders that are before us. all the things around us are reminders of God with us: the tree, the gifts, the special foods, the lights, and yes even santa, none of these takes us away from Christ, all of these serve to point us towards Christ.
yet we become distracted, become obsessed so to speak, with the reminders and fail to see what they are pointing us too. the fault lies not in the tree or gifts or even santa, the fault lies within ourselves, and this is even more the reason why we so desperately need Christ, through whom we are enabled to engage life as it really is, not just as it is meant to be, but as it really is right now. Christ is the lens, the eyeglasses so to speak, that we need to see what is really before us. all things speak to us of God, all things point us to God, each one of us is a living representation of God – what do you think the book of genesis is saying when it refers to us as “the image of God”, what do you think Jesus was talking about when he said “whatever you do to the least of these you do to me” – he is saying to us “OPEN YOUR EYES and SEE ME as I REALLY AM, see Me in all that I have created, see Me in each other, and yes even see Me within yourself".
for within us lay the seed of the kingdom of God, when Christ is born in our hearts then the living reality of the saving work of God is born within us. the inner transformation we all crave, we all need, so that love and liberty, that is the grace and truth of God, may reign within us and through us the kingdom of God unfolds - becoming a living reality in our world; not through us in our selfish blindness, but through us as we live IN Christ. to the degree we allow Christ to be the lens by which we see the world – we will be able to perceive the true reality of all things.
Jesus tells us in john’s gospel “I will draw all things to Me”, all things are drawn to Christ because all things came from Christ – “for all things came into being through Him and not one thing came into being apart from Him”. do you see here what is meant by the reciprocity of giving and receiving? He who created our hearts has come to re-create us into the fullness of the image of God.
so let us not blame things for distracting us from the truth of Christ, but let us honestly recognize that we are the cause of our distractions, for only then can we be like mary and say to God “let it be with me as according to your Word”. for it is by and through the Word, which is the Light of all people, we are born again, and able to joyfully proclaim with Isaiah “arise, shine, for thy Light has come, and the glory of the Lord is upon us.” Amen.
©2010 halley low
so if they are reminders then how is it they distract us? the truth is that they, in and of themselves, don’t distract us. all of these holiday traditions (regardless of their origin) serve us as reminders of the great event of God coming to be with us as one of us. look at the Christmas tree, its an evergreen - yes? why do we use an evergreen and not an oak or maple? because the pine tree is a reminder of Christ, who is evergreen, and a reminder of the eternal life He gives us; the evergreen is always present to us in its living greenness just as Christ is always present to us. so look at the tree and see it as it really is, and then you will see Christ! and what of the lights that decorate the tree, are they simply meant to be pretty distractions from the truth, or do they remind us that He is the Light of the world, and all the little lights speak to us of our little lights that shine in unity with Him.
and the gifts we give to one another are reminders of the Great Gift God have given us in Jesus Christ. we can lose sight of that fact easily if we allow selfishness and greed to rule our hearts. But whose fault is that, the gifts or our hearts? What are we teaching our children about the act of giving when all the importance is placed on the pleasure of receiving things they want, above the joy found in sharing of ourselves that is the reciprocity of giving and receiving? this joy is a reflection of the joy God has in giving Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ, through whom we are received back into the fullness of God’s life. perceive the truth – that to give is to receive, and to receive is to give.
and what of santa, who of all the things that we grumble over we grumble most about him. we blame him for distracting us from the reason for the season. but my friends, who does santa represent? does he not speak to us of the kindly Father, who loves the world so much, that despite snow or storm comes to us and gives us the gift we are most in need of? that is the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
in truth none of these things blind us to the reason for the season, what blinds us is ourselves, and our poverty of spirit that causes us not to see the reminders that are before us. all the things around us are reminders of God with us: the tree, the gifts, the special foods, the lights, and yes even santa, none of these takes us away from Christ, all of these serve to point us towards Christ.
yet we become distracted, become obsessed so to speak, with the reminders and fail to see what they are pointing us too. the fault lies not in the tree or gifts or even santa, the fault lies within ourselves, and this is even more the reason why we so desperately need Christ, through whom we are enabled to engage life as it really is, not just as it is meant to be, but as it really is right now. Christ is the lens, the eyeglasses so to speak, that we need to see what is really before us. all things speak to us of God, all things point us to God, each one of us is a living representation of God – what do you think the book of genesis is saying when it refers to us as “the image of God”, what do you think Jesus was talking about when he said “whatever you do to the least of these you do to me” – he is saying to us “OPEN YOUR EYES and SEE ME as I REALLY AM, see Me in all that I have created, see Me in each other, and yes even see Me within yourself".
for within us lay the seed of the kingdom of God, when Christ is born in our hearts then the living reality of the saving work of God is born within us. the inner transformation we all crave, we all need, so that love and liberty, that is the grace and truth of God, may reign within us and through us the kingdom of God unfolds - becoming a living reality in our world; not through us in our selfish blindness, but through us as we live IN Christ. to the degree we allow Christ to be the lens by which we see the world – we will be able to perceive the true reality of all things.
Jesus tells us in john’s gospel “I will draw all things to Me”, all things are drawn to Christ because all things came from Christ – “for all things came into being through Him and not one thing came into being apart from Him”. do you see here what is meant by the reciprocity of giving and receiving? He who created our hearts has come to re-create us into the fullness of the image of God.
so let us not blame things for distracting us from the truth of Christ, but let us honestly recognize that we are the cause of our distractions, for only then can we be like mary and say to God “let it be with me as according to your Word”. for it is by and through the Word, which is the Light of all people, we are born again, and able to joyfully proclaim with Isaiah “arise, shine, for thy Light has come, and the glory of the Lord is upon us.” Amen.
©2010 halley low
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Jesus Christ the one and only Living Word of God
traditionally advent is seen as the season of preparation for the birth of Christ (or to use more theological language the Incarnation – that is God who incarnates, becomes flesh in order to live in the world and dwell with us as one of us). in days gone by the preparation was marked by prayer and self-examination; today we prepare by shopping and eating and parties. the reason for the old way is because of the connection between the season of advent and the season of lent, and the understanding that the Cradle and the Cross are one.
in the gospel of John, (which more than any of the other gospels gives us the deeper theological understanding of this great event called the Incarnation), we are told in 3:17 “indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” there can be no cross of salvation (or healing, as salvation comes from the latin “salvo” to heal) or resurrection to new and everlasting life for humanity, or the whole of creation, without the first great event – the Incarnation of the Living Word of God in form and likeness of humankind. the miracle of Christmas is the miracle of the Word become flesh as expressed in the first chapter of john’s gospel. it’s a good idea to meditate on John 1:1-34 during the season of advent. certain key facts about the importance and centrality of the Incarnation are revealed in john that are missing or not fully expressed in the other gospel narratives of the birth of Christ (note that in the gospel of mark there is no mention of Jesus’ birth, and in matthew and luke's narratives the focus is more centered on the fulfillment of hebrew prophecy, or the universality of God’s saving action in Christ, without the fuller deeper exploration of this revelation as found in John}.
in a nutshell the hallmarks of John’s narrative are: 1, the Word (that is Christ or God the Son) is one with God from all eternity; 2, the Word in being one with God is also the source of all life; 3, through the historical event of the Word becoming flesh the full out pouring of God’s grace (gifts) is made manifest for us, and is the means of our reconciliation with God and one another. it is here that the great revelation of Christianity to the world is begun to be made known – that God is Trinity, One God in community of being, and through the Word made flesh humanity is invited back into the life of the One Living Triune God, as was and is God’s intention for humanity.
when we focus on Christmas as being Jesus’s birthday (as in “happy birthday Jesus” let’s blow out the candles and open the gifts), instead of as the moment, in the course of the year, that we as the community of Christ remember and reflect on the great mystery of God’s coming to be with us by being one of us, we lose the true meaning of Christmas and the real sense of joy and hope that this most holy revelation gives to us in the here and now, and in the time to come.
you may wonder, and wish to ponder on, why john refers to God the Son (the second person in the Holy Trinity) as “the Word”? our modern English understanding of the term “word” does not fully express the meaning of the Greek word “logos” which we translate as “word”. likewise our normal usage of the term “word” lacks the deep theological significances of the term as understood in the early church. though some of our adages hint at the deeper meaning, for instance, we may say “she is known by her word”. when we say that we don’t mean people are known by what they actually say with their mouths but by how much their lives reflect what they say, and so we come to know the truth of someone’s word by their actions. “Logos” – “Word” means just that – the action or power behind and manifested through the “Word”. so in a real way to speak is to do(at least in terms of God), which brings us to the very opening lines of the bible as found the first chapter of Genesis – God speaks and creation thus unfolds. the power to create is found in God’s Word, we come to know God as creator because God’s Word (Jesus Christ) is active and true. and not just true but Truth itself, so john writes (1:17) “the law indeed was given through moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” so it is that through the Word we receive God’s grace/gift and in the Word we enter the Truth - which is the very life of the Triune God.
©2010 halley low
in the gospel of John, (which more than any of the other gospels gives us the deeper theological understanding of this great event called the Incarnation), we are told in 3:17 “indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” there can be no cross of salvation (or healing, as salvation comes from the latin “salvo” to heal) or resurrection to new and everlasting life for humanity, or the whole of creation, without the first great event – the Incarnation of the Living Word of God in form and likeness of humankind. the miracle of Christmas is the miracle of the Word become flesh as expressed in the first chapter of john’s gospel. it’s a good idea to meditate on John 1:1-34 during the season of advent. certain key facts about the importance and centrality of the Incarnation are revealed in john that are missing or not fully expressed in the other gospel narratives of the birth of Christ (note that in the gospel of mark there is no mention of Jesus’ birth, and in matthew and luke's narratives the focus is more centered on the fulfillment of hebrew prophecy, or the universality of God’s saving action in Christ, without the fuller deeper exploration of this revelation as found in John}.
in a nutshell the hallmarks of John’s narrative are: 1, the Word (that is Christ or God the Son) is one with God from all eternity; 2, the Word in being one with God is also the source of all life; 3, through the historical event of the Word becoming flesh the full out pouring of God’s grace (gifts) is made manifest for us, and is the means of our reconciliation with God and one another. it is here that the great revelation of Christianity to the world is begun to be made known – that God is Trinity, One God in community of being, and through the Word made flesh humanity is invited back into the life of the One Living Triune God, as was and is God’s intention for humanity.
when we focus on Christmas as being Jesus’s birthday (as in “happy birthday Jesus” let’s blow out the candles and open the gifts), instead of as the moment, in the course of the year, that we as the community of Christ remember and reflect on the great mystery of God’s coming to be with us by being one of us, we lose the true meaning of Christmas and the real sense of joy and hope that this most holy revelation gives to us in the here and now, and in the time to come.
you may wonder, and wish to ponder on, why john refers to God the Son (the second person in the Holy Trinity) as “the Word”? our modern English understanding of the term “word” does not fully express the meaning of the Greek word “logos” which we translate as “word”. likewise our normal usage of the term “word” lacks the deep theological significances of the term as understood in the early church. though some of our adages hint at the deeper meaning, for instance, we may say “she is known by her word”. when we say that we don’t mean people are known by what they actually say with their mouths but by how much their lives reflect what they say, and so we come to know the truth of someone’s word by their actions. “Logos” – “Word” means just that – the action or power behind and manifested through the “Word”. so in a real way to speak is to do(at least in terms of God), which brings us to the very opening lines of the bible as found the first chapter of Genesis – God speaks and creation thus unfolds. the power to create is found in God’s Word, we come to know God as creator because God’s Word (Jesus Christ) is active and true. and not just true but Truth itself, so john writes (1:17) “the law indeed was given through moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” so it is that through the Word we receive God’s grace/gift and in the Word we enter the Truth - which is the very life of the Triune God.
©2010 halley low
Sunday, December 5, 2010
our hope is in the love God has for us (an advent message)
it is often said that the Christmas season is the season of love, and a time to have hope for a better tomorrow. but we may feel that there is little to have hope in, and even less to love. these days we all feel the effects of a stressed economy, and living as we do in a global economy that stress is felt world wide. so where is the hope?
looking at the world stage things seem very frightening indeed. particularly at this moment with the uncertainty in korea. the relationship of the two koreas has been strained from the beginning of the armistice some 60 years ago. who knows what will happen next between these two nations, which are in fact one people, a situation that pits brother against sister, and one wonders - where is the love?
if we place our hope in circumstances there is little to hope in, because circumstances are constantly in flux, the world situation, and our own personal life situations - are always caught up between the ebb and flow, between tension and ease, between hardship and comfort. one day we feel on top of the world, and the next day the world feels on top of us. if our hope is simply that tomorrow will be a better day, if our hope is in changing circumstances, then that hope indeed is weak, and without foundation, and thus is no hope at all.
in the letter to the romans paul writes (15:4) “for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” he is referring to the hebrew scriptures, but why is he telling us to look for instruction in the writings of days gone by? the old testatment is a collection of stories about struggle, times of shifting circumstances, not unlike our own time. in that case why study these writings? What is the encouragement we will find in them that “we might have hope”?
perhaps the reason to study them is exactly in the similarity, these ancient people lived in a world of uncertainty much as we do. what was the hope that enabled the ancient hebrews to endure in the face of exile, and in the face of return to their broken homeland, in the face of the ever shifting circumstances that is all of human history? in studying their stories we find that their hope was not in fate or circumstance or even in themselves, but in a God greater then themselves or the circumstances they found themselves in; a faithful God whose love was steadfast, which means a love that is fixed and focused and firmly planted. though the circumstances of the hebrews varied greatly, as our circumstances today vary, their hope, like their God, remained steadfast, enabling them to live through crisis and endure as a people.
in the next two verses paul offers a prayer which I find very interesting, (15:5, 6) “may the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, through Jesus Christ, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” now advent is a time we remember Emmanuel - the God who is with us, who came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ to experience with us the shifting circumstances of human life, both the joys of relationship and the heartache of broken trust; and to witness to us in the flesh the ever present reality of God. and even more, Christ came into the world, a world filled with all our individual and collective brokenness and sin, to welcome humanity into His life. through living in Him harmony is possible, even though our feelings and opinions may differ, because He is our harmony.
in musical terminology harmony refers to the combination of notes sounded simultaneously, different notes with different sounds that are played at the same time and yet work together to produce something beautiful - because they are combined within a structure which enables them to be different while at the same time sharing in a purpose – that is to make a beautiful noise. Christ is the harmony who takes our differences and constructs them together to make something beautiful. therein is our hope, and therein is the love which makes that hope a living hope rooted in the living God. through Jesus, our many and different notes blend into one voice giving glory to God.
but how does the harmony of our voice in Christ become real in this world of shifting circumstances? paul gives us the answer when he writes in the next verse, (15:7) “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you”. according to random house, to welcome means “to receive or accept with pleasure; to regard another person as pleasant or good”. now Christ has come to welcome us into His life, and when we welcome Christ into our life we are freed from the bondage of selfishness that disables us from truly receiving another person. if Christ, who lives in us, has done this for us, then through Him we can do this for one another. thus the miracle of welcoming, which began in Christ continues to unfold in our world through Christ.
in welcoming us Jesus takes our uniqueness into the harmony of a diverse yet unified voice that gives glory to God. by welcoming us He frees our hearts, and in so doing we become open to welcome others into the life of Christ, into a living community of lovers. yes lovers, not lovers in a worldly sense, but true lovers of Christ, and through him lovers of one another, who welcome and accept one another in joy. we are able to welcome, and to love, because He first welcomed and loved us. it is in this welcoming love, and not in ever shifting circumstance, that we find the real hope - for our hope is in the love God has for us. real hope, real love, from the real God of all - who searches our hearts and calls us to be a people, and not just any people but the people of God in Christ.
so let us pray during this advent season and throughout our lives – (15:13) “may the God of hope fill each of us with all joy and peace in believing, so that each of us may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” and so we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and the Savior of the world, amen.
©2010 halley low
looking at the world stage things seem very frightening indeed. particularly at this moment with the uncertainty in korea. the relationship of the two koreas has been strained from the beginning of the armistice some 60 years ago. who knows what will happen next between these two nations, which are in fact one people, a situation that pits brother against sister, and one wonders - where is the love?
if we place our hope in circumstances there is little to hope in, because circumstances are constantly in flux, the world situation, and our own personal life situations - are always caught up between the ebb and flow, between tension and ease, between hardship and comfort. one day we feel on top of the world, and the next day the world feels on top of us. if our hope is simply that tomorrow will be a better day, if our hope is in changing circumstances, then that hope indeed is weak, and without foundation, and thus is no hope at all.
in the letter to the romans paul writes (15:4) “for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” he is referring to the hebrew scriptures, but why is he telling us to look for instruction in the writings of days gone by? the old testatment is a collection of stories about struggle, times of shifting circumstances, not unlike our own time. in that case why study these writings? What is the encouragement we will find in them that “we might have hope”?
perhaps the reason to study them is exactly in the similarity, these ancient people lived in a world of uncertainty much as we do. what was the hope that enabled the ancient hebrews to endure in the face of exile, and in the face of return to their broken homeland, in the face of the ever shifting circumstances that is all of human history? in studying their stories we find that their hope was not in fate or circumstance or even in themselves, but in a God greater then themselves or the circumstances they found themselves in; a faithful God whose love was steadfast, which means a love that is fixed and focused and firmly planted. though the circumstances of the hebrews varied greatly, as our circumstances today vary, their hope, like their God, remained steadfast, enabling them to live through crisis and endure as a people.
in the next two verses paul offers a prayer which I find very interesting, (15:5, 6) “may the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, through Jesus Christ, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” now advent is a time we remember Emmanuel - the God who is with us, who came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ to experience with us the shifting circumstances of human life, both the joys of relationship and the heartache of broken trust; and to witness to us in the flesh the ever present reality of God. and even more, Christ came into the world, a world filled with all our individual and collective brokenness and sin, to welcome humanity into His life. through living in Him harmony is possible, even though our feelings and opinions may differ, because He is our harmony.
in musical terminology harmony refers to the combination of notes sounded simultaneously, different notes with different sounds that are played at the same time and yet work together to produce something beautiful - because they are combined within a structure which enables them to be different while at the same time sharing in a purpose – that is to make a beautiful noise. Christ is the harmony who takes our differences and constructs them together to make something beautiful. therein is our hope, and therein is the love which makes that hope a living hope rooted in the living God. through Jesus, our many and different notes blend into one voice giving glory to God.
but how does the harmony of our voice in Christ become real in this world of shifting circumstances? paul gives us the answer when he writes in the next verse, (15:7) “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you”. according to random house, to welcome means “to receive or accept with pleasure; to regard another person as pleasant or good”. now Christ has come to welcome us into His life, and when we welcome Christ into our life we are freed from the bondage of selfishness that disables us from truly receiving another person. if Christ, who lives in us, has done this for us, then through Him we can do this for one another. thus the miracle of welcoming, which began in Christ continues to unfold in our world through Christ.
in welcoming us Jesus takes our uniqueness into the harmony of a diverse yet unified voice that gives glory to God. by welcoming us He frees our hearts, and in so doing we become open to welcome others into the life of Christ, into a living community of lovers. yes lovers, not lovers in a worldly sense, but true lovers of Christ, and through him lovers of one another, who welcome and accept one another in joy. we are able to welcome, and to love, because He first welcomed and loved us. it is in this welcoming love, and not in ever shifting circumstance, that we find the real hope - for our hope is in the love God has for us. real hope, real love, from the real God of all - who searches our hearts and calls us to be a people, and not just any people but the people of God in Christ.
so let us pray during this advent season and throughout our lives – (15:13) “may the God of hope fill each of us with all joy and peace in believing, so that each of us may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” and so we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and the Savior of the world, amen.
©2010 halley low
Sunday, November 28, 2010
a matter of heart
what is the heart? when the bible speaks about the “heart” it is making reference to more then the physical organ that pumps our blood. the heart is the symbol of the very core of our being – “the heart of the matter” so to speak. that is why when we ponder an important decision we say that we need to “search our heart” - to go deep within ourselves to our very core where we can reflect and discern.
in the ancient near eastern world there was a certain shared body of wisdom. among the ancient egyptians there was the belief that when a person died their heart would be weighed against “maat” – the principle of truth and justice. if the person had a heavy heart (that is one burdened with wrongdoing) he/she would not enter eternity, but if the heart was light than the person would rise up to the place of the immortals. Jesus said in the gospel of matthew - “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” perhaps there is an echo of the egyptian concept in Jesus’ teaching, in any case, purity of heart and the ability to see God are deeply connected.
certainly “the heart” is an important concept in the scriptures as it is mentioned in over 400 verses. we read in deuteronomy 4:39 “so acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath, there is no other.” here we are called not only to acknowledge this truth but to place it within the deepest recesses of our being. and in deut. 6:5 “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (inner being), and with all your soul (life), and with all your might (energy).” Jesus affirms the centrality of this commandment in matt. 22:37.
our calvinist kin are fond of promoting the idea that human beings are “completely depraved” – evil to the very core of our being and thus they teach we can not trust our hearts, because as God declares in Gen. 8:20 “for the inclinations of the human heart are evil”. Such a view of humanity as fundamentally evil is contrary to the teachings of john wesley, and more importantly runs counter to the teaching of Jesus. if we only consider matt. 15:18,19 we might think Jesus is wholly agreeing with calvin’s interpretation – “but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. for out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.” but Jesus recognizes and declares that the heart is a storehouse of both good and evil and our freewill chooses what we will bring forth, as stated in matt. 12:35, and more clearly expressed in Luke 6:45 “the good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” So if we treasure good we will store it in our heart and bring it forth in due season, and likewise with evil; as Jesus said “where your treasure is, there also is your heart.”
isn’t it a great and wonderful thing that God does not judge us on our appearances, many and false as they often are, but looks into the depth of our being to perceive the real truth of the human heart which God saw at the very beginning (Gen. 1:31), and for which Jesus came to restore us in fullness (John 1:12, 16). through Christ our heavy hearts can be made light, for “real circumcision is a matter of the heart” where Christ works in secret. the more we are healed and sanctified through the love of Christ poured out for all people, the more we can use our hearts for holy discernment and good works.
Psalm 49:3 “My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.”
©2010 halley low
in the ancient near eastern world there was a certain shared body of wisdom. among the ancient egyptians there was the belief that when a person died their heart would be weighed against “maat” – the principle of truth and justice. if the person had a heavy heart (that is one burdened with wrongdoing) he/she would not enter eternity, but if the heart was light than the person would rise up to the place of the immortals. Jesus said in the gospel of matthew - “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” perhaps there is an echo of the egyptian concept in Jesus’ teaching, in any case, purity of heart and the ability to see God are deeply connected.
certainly “the heart” is an important concept in the scriptures as it is mentioned in over 400 verses. we read in deuteronomy 4:39 “so acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath, there is no other.” here we are called not only to acknowledge this truth but to place it within the deepest recesses of our being. and in deut. 6:5 “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (inner being), and with all your soul (life), and with all your might (energy).” Jesus affirms the centrality of this commandment in matt. 22:37.
our calvinist kin are fond of promoting the idea that human beings are “completely depraved” – evil to the very core of our being and thus they teach we can not trust our hearts, because as God declares in Gen. 8:20 “for the inclinations of the human heart are evil”. Such a view of humanity as fundamentally evil is contrary to the teachings of john wesley, and more importantly runs counter to the teaching of Jesus. if we only consider matt. 15:18,19 we might think Jesus is wholly agreeing with calvin’s interpretation – “but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. for out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.” but Jesus recognizes and declares that the heart is a storehouse of both good and evil and our freewill chooses what we will bring forth, as stated in matt. 12:35, and more clearly expressed in Luke 6:45 “the good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” So if we treasure good we will store it in our heart and bring it forth in due season, and likewise with evil; as Jesus said “where your treasure is, there also is your heart.”
isn’t it a great and wonderful thing that God does not judge us on our appearances, many and false as they often are, but looks into the depth of our being to perceive the real truth of the human heart which God saw at the very beginning (Gen. 1:31), and for which Jesus came to restore us in fullness (John 1:12, 16). through Christ our heavy hearts can be made light, for “real circumcision is a matter of the heart” where Christ works in secret. the more we are healed and sanctified through the love of Christ poured out for all people, the more we can use our hearts for holy discernment and good works.
Psalm 49:3 “My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.”
©2010 halley low
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
fearing God: a reflection on genesis 15:1-5 & 16:1-6
it is natural to feel fear towards God because of God’s greatness and holiness. but what is the first thing God says to abram in the passages under consideration? “do not be afraid, abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.:…..he believed the Lord and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
in the letter of james we are told that fear is the opposite of love, and that love conquers fear. Fear is based in distrust: fear says - you are an isolated being, separate from, and wary of, everyone and everything. fear tells us intimacy is at best not possible and at worse down right dangerous. if we listen to fear we lose the ability to engage in authentic relationships. yet if we listen to what God says to abram we can understand that God does not desire us to fear him, but to trust him, and as Jesus taught – to love God!
now what does it say to us that abram was 100 yrs old at the time of the birth of issac? one thing is that new beginnings can happen at any age. it also informs us to be patient and willing to wait in joyful expectation, and full acceptance, of the wisdom and faithfulness of God towards those who fear him. i say fear with the idea in mind that fear is our natural “feeling” before the greatness and mystery that is God. thus by nature all fear God, and since God is faithful to those who fear Him then all people are beloved of God, and God reaches out through Jesus to all humanity, calling all people to wholeness. if we trust and be patient – willing to wait and not just wait but to wait in joy, we would live our lives with less stress and greater faith in the knowledge of our belovedness.
in a world of instance “joys” where our needs and, more often then not, our mere desires, are satisfied with a click of a mouse or the touch of a computer screen or a quick run through the drive thru for the fast food; the ability, the benefit, and the desirability of waiting is not in vogue. it is hard to trust if you are not willing to wait, it is hard to live acceptance if you can not trust the process or the One guiding the process. the inability to wait is an expression of self-centeredness
it is the reason we as a people need to learn to be more reflective, to cherish quietude as an opportunity for review and renewal, to be still and know God. if we do we may find like Abram that God does not want us to be fearful, that God is our “shield” and our hope and our friend. Who is ever inviting us into relationship, with God and one another. It’s the reason we have families, to be born into relationship from the very start – for to be in relationship is the universal calling of humankind.
©2010 halley low
in the letter of james we are told that fear is the opposite of love, and that love conquers fear. Fear is based in distrust: fear says - you are an isolated being, separate from, and wary of, everyone and everything. fear tells us intimacy is at best not possible and at worse down right dangerous. if we listen to fear we lose the ability to engage in authentic relationships. yet if we listen to what God says to abram we can understand that God does not desire us to fear him, but to trust him, and as Jesus taught – to love God!
now what does it say to us that abram was 100 yrs old at the time of the birth of issac? one thing is that new beginnings can happen at any age. it also informs us to be patient and willing to wait in joyful expectation, and full acceptance, of the wisdom and faithfulness of God towards those who fear him. i say fear with the idea in mind that fear is our natural “feeling” before the greatness and mystery that is God. thus by nature all fear God, and since God is faithful to those who fear Him then all people are beloved of God, and God reaches out through Jesus to all humanity, calling all people to wholeness. if we trust and be patient – willing to wait and not just wait but to wait in joy, we would live our lives with less stress and greater faith in the knowledge of our belovedness.
in a world of instance “joys” where our needs and, more often then not, our mere desires, are satisfied with a click of a mouse or the touch of a computer screen or a quick run through the drive thru for the fast food; the ability, the benefit, and the desirability of waiting is not in vogue. it is hard to trust if you are not willing to wait, it is hard to live acceptance if you can not trust the process or the One guiding the process. the inability to wait is an expression of self-centeredness
it is the reason we as a people need to learn to be more reflective, to cherish quietude as an opportunity for review and renewal, to be still and know God. if we do we may find like Abram that God does not want us to be fearful, that God is our “shield” and our hope and our friend. Who is ever inviting us into relationship, with God and one another. It’s the reason we have families, to be born into relationship from the very start – for to be in relationship is the universal calling of humankind.
©2010 halley low
Friday, May 21, 2010
worlds within worlds (a pictorial essay)
busy with the day i dash past this bush in my yard. passed it a hundred times before never taking notice, at best peripheral to my world, this world of its own.
but today i noticed it because its blooming, and my eyes are held captive by it's beauty.
so i come a little closer to get a better look.
our worlds converging as never before.
now my heart beats faster as i begin to perceive the breath and depth of its beauty.
drawn onward i go closer...
my face is practically inside the blossoms now, this buffet for the bees, yes worlds within worlds silently we pass by, yet i am drawn closer and to my great surprise...
behind the blossoms a whole other world within a world within a world to see, flightless baby birds waiting for mom. not a sound, barely a movement, a bundle of feathers, in a nest of twigs and scraps of plastic netting and other human debris re-cycled and re-used by birds; and we think we are so clever.
worlds within worlds,
if only we will see.
©2010 halley low
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
the illusion of evil
“for what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst? verily when good is hungry it seeks food even in dark caves, and when it thirsts it drinks even of dead waters.” - kahlil gibran
evil is an illusion. by that I do not mean that evil is not a reality in our world. illusions are real, though they are not true. an example - i am lost in the desert and see a mirage; the mirage is real yet the reality I perceive is not true. evil is essentially a lie, that is something not true - an illusion. sin is believing the lie and what follows naturally from that belief is living in the lie. the lie is that there is no God, no purpose, no hope - life is only futility. once we start to believe the lie fear takes over. thus pride comes, the first born of fear, and the progenitor of all that is oppressive and divisive in our world; “i" becomes the center of the universe from which all greed and malice flows from the human heart and infects the world.
let me give a more concrete historical example of what i mean. apartheid was the policy of the south african government for decades. apartheid was based on a lie, that is the lie that one race is superior to another. that one lie gave birth to a whole system of oppression and violence. evil replaced the truth with a lie and that illusion created a very real world of suffering.
essentially evil is the lie that tells us we are not good, not worthy of human dignity or respect. “and God saw everything that was created, and behold it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) or in the words of Desmond Tutu evil is the lie that “tells a child of God that they are not a child of God.” without hope or purpose we live in fear; feeling lost and alone we seek affirmation of ourselves within ourselves, and so our hunger for the light only finds darkness, and our thirst for communion is drowned in the dead waters of self-centeredness.
the illusion of evil (that which is false) can only be overcome by the truth. coming to know the truth in a world full of evil is not always easy. the lies that society drums into our heads (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.) are hard to dislodge and often difficult for us to recognize as living within us. the lies we tell ourselves (grandiosity, arrogance, lust, etc.) are equally difficult to recognize and dislodge. often our personal lies are deeply intertwined in our social lies, one feeding off and re-enforcing the other. but we are not lost, there is true and real hope for us to be free.
in the gospel of john we are told that Jesus "is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world". sin is believing the lie and Jesus takes it away by shining forth the truth of God. we are not lost and alone, God is ever-present calling us to turn from the lie and to live in Him. God loves the whole of creation and does not abandon us to our illusions, "indeed God did not send the Son into the world to condemn it but in order that the world be healed through Him." by living in Christ we are freed from the power of the illusion. the more we turn from the lie of self-centeredness toward the truth of God's love manifest in the person of Jesus Christ the more sane living becomes possible in a crazy world. for what is sane living but to be free to be who we are - children of God - called to love and live in harmony with all so that the truth and beauty of God will shine through God's creation, for "what has come into being in Him is life, and the life is the light of all people."
©2010 halley low
evil is an illusion. by that I do not mean that evil is not a reality in our world. illusions are real, though they are not true. an example - i am lost in the desert and see a mirage; the mirage is real yet the reality I perceive is not true. evil is essentially a lie, that is something not true - an illusion. sin is believing the lie and what follows naturally from that belief is living in the lie. the lie is that there is no God, no purpose, no hope - life is only futility. once we start to believe the lie fear takes over. thus pride comes, the first born of fear, and the progenitor of all that is oppressive and divisive in our world; “i" becomes the center of the universe from which all greed and malice flows from the human heart and infects the world.
let me give a more concrete historical example of what i mean. apartheid was the policy of the south african government for decades. apartheid was based on a lie, that is the lie that one race is superior to another. that one lie gave birth to a whole system of oppression and violence. evil replaced the truth with a lie and that illusion created a very real world of suffering.
essentially evil is the lie that tells us we are not good, not worthy of human dignity or respect. “and God saw everything that was created, and behold it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) or in the words of Desmond Tutu evil is the lie that “tells a child of God that they are not a child of God.” without hope or purpose we live in fear; feeling lost and alone we seek affirmation of ourselves within ourselves, and so our hunger for the light only finds darkness, and our thirst for communion is drowned in the dead waters of self-centeredness.
the illusion of evil (that which is false) can only be overcome by the truth. coming to know the truth in a world full of evil is not always easy. the lies that society drums into our heads (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.) are hard to dislodge and often difficult for us to recognize as living within us. the lies we tell ourselves (grandiosity, arrogance, lust, etc.) are equally difficult to recognize and dislodge. often our personal lies are deeply intertwined in our social lies, one feeding off and re-enforcing the other. but we are not lost, there is true and real hope for us to be free.
in the gospel of john we are told that Jesus "is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world". sin is believing the lie and Jesus takes it away by shining forth the truth of God. we are not lost and alone, God is ever-present calling us to turn from the lie and to live in Him. God loves the whole of creation and does not abandon us to our illusions, "indeed God did not send the Son into the world to condemn it but in order that the world be healed through Him." by living in Christ we are freed from the power of the illusion. the more we turn from the lie of self-centeredness toward the truth of God's love manifest in the person of Jesus Christ the more sane living becomes possible in a crazy world. for what is sane living but to be free to be who we are - children of God - called to love and live in harmony with all so that the truth and beauty of God will shine through God's creation, for "what has come into being in Him is life, and the life is the light of all people."
©2010 halley low
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