28/11/2023
Christ our king, kin, whatever we like to call Jesus the man, the man of sorrows that saw a world that needed his empathetic, compassionate determination, that felt the pain of those suffering, those lost to the world, saw the lack of understanding within his cherished faith, hurting him so much when his words couldn’t be heeded he gave his life. In all the years since I first was introduced to Jesus sitting upon my mothers knee listening to her words filled with love I have felt drawn to his Way, not that I with my fiery nature, sensitive and easily tormented soul could or can emulate such a soul, and know full well my efforts more often than not irritate people of faith not gladden their heart. However thinking on that, is it not the reality of the matter Jesus had the same problem, those on the outside, on the margins, those who needed his healing touch loved him, where the Pharisees, Saducees, High Priests feared him that much they couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. I wonder and wonder and wonder ever more what it is about honesty of heart and soul that just jars with those at the top, find a soft generous spirit upsetting, so upsetting they are willing to sin their soul to be rid of. It’s a thought, a thought we all even those so irked by the innocence of spirit need to ponder, maybe just maybe that is one of the reasons many of the difficulties occur within congregational life and just maybe if it was fully recognised and tried hard to be overcome, the hugely important fully inclusive way Christ was adamant was needed, not one single soul, whoever or however they were, clean or unclean was a child of our patient, loving, living God, needing protected, healed, loved and given a place at the table if it was in the service of the God of love we were serving, anything less was a God made up of our own misguided attention to scripture and liable to like the leaders of the temple be exclusionary and missing the heart of God, which is and always has been what God is about, Love, we are ALL made in the image of love, fully interconnected with all of life, God within and around us shining His light of life and love if we so wish to transmit it and not hide it under a bushel as so often can be the case for fear of the cross that can loom so threateningly when our courage becomes depleted. Blessings as I always say please don’t dismiss the ramblings of an old woman that has seen and felt too much of life’s trials but give it thought, how much better would our torn and troubled world be if we could all just be! I will end with the words of Rev John Bell, words with a few other beautiful short hymns I love to sing with the passion they were written with evident.
Lord Jesus Christ, lover of all, trail wide the hem of your garment, bring healing, bring peace.
