“Above” / / Colossians 3: 1 – 4
The dimensions of space are mind blowing. For instance, in the Milky Way Galaxy – the spiral galaxy where planet earth resides – cosmologists estimate that the distance from one edge to the opposite edge of the galaxy is approximately 100 thousand light years in diameter. This dimension is quite large, but it becomes mind boggling when we recall that light is traveling at 186 thousand miles per second! A light year is the distance light travels in one year at 186 thousand miles per second. So, if one could travel at the speed of light, it would take 100 thousand years to travel from one side of our galaxy to the next. That would be approximately 9.7 quadrillion miles at 186 thousand miles per second. And our galaxy is just one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in our universe. So, the dimensions of space are mind blowing.
Thus, when we read in Colossians 3 that we are to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is…” (v.1), and that we are to “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth” (v.2), what could this possibly mean in light of the vast dimensional scale of space?
The universe is a visible icon instructing us of our place in the scale of being. The Psalmist put it this way: what are we that you are mindful of us, Lord? (Psalm 8). It shows us the grandeur of creation and is useful in shocking us into awe and evoking appropriate humility. Furthermore, the scale of the universe reminds us that the higher influences the lower. Planet earth is vitally influenced by the sun. In one sense, the sun is above us, but it is also beside us and beneath us. The point is not our location above or below, the point is that there is an order of authority to reality, and that this order manifests a hierarchy of influences.
Not only is it hierarchical in terms of authority, that is, “power and glory,” it is qualitatively different, such as the word kingdom conveys: “For Thine is kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.” The kingdom of God is qualitatively distinct from the domain of planet earth and humanity. Life comes from above, that is beyond this level of existence. It comes from a higher source, beyond this planet, and indeed beyond this universe. Light, Life and Love come from God, through whom all things have come into being.
So if your life is hidden with Christ in God (v.4) and, if Christ is above (i.e. beyond this realm), then the deepest truth of our existence is that we do not just belong to this world, but we also belong to the kingdom of God which is both here and not yet here in full. It is for this reason that we are to not solely look to the domain of planet earth and all its commerce and potential for meaning or purpose. Because we have died to the sole power of this domain, we begin to seek for higher influences. We begin to seek for the things that are above. We begin to set our minds on things that are above. That is, we begin to let the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. We begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness. We begin to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We begin to be able to love our neighbor as our self. We begin to be in the world, but not of the world. We begin to listen for and obey the Word of the Lord. We begin to seek the living waters and their luminous wisdom.
Scripture Reflection for Week of July 19th, 2009: The Experience of Miracles
The lectionary Gospel reading for this Sunday, July 26th is taken from John 6. 1 – 21. This passage contains two of the seven signs of Jesus’ ministry. The seven signs are: Turning water into wine (2.1-12). Healing of the official’s son (4.43-54). Healing a paralyzed man (5.1-15). Feeding five thousand 6.1-15). Walking on water 6.16-24).Healing a man born blind (9.1-12). And raising Lazarus from the dead (11.1-44). The seven signs are important because they authenticate Jesus’ prophetic ministry wherein he manifests the kingdom of God in the midst of human affairs, and confirm the seven “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John.
In the fourth sign (John 6.1-5), Jesus demonstrates the appropriate use of spiritual power over physical substance represented by bread. When Jesus does reveal the nature of his spiritual power over physical substance, he does so in service of others and to reveal the glory of God. Over the years, many have dismissed or reinterpreted the miracles and signs in the Gospel of John to fit into a more naturalistic world view. Their bias is that such interruptions of natural law are impossible. To be fair, it is difficult for us to think about a different kind of reality breaking into our reality, with all its laws of order. We may read about it the scriptures, but in our day to day lives, we don’t such events occurring.
Yet, the presence of the prophetic is the presence of the possible. With God, and with God’s Anointed, all things are possible. Miracles are the in-breaking of different and higher laws into our realm of reality. So, miracles are lawful, but just not according to our normal, human, naturalistic laws. They are lawful according to their own dimension.
And the church can experience this dimension. By the Spirit, the spiritual authority of Jesus continues through the church (Acts 2). Signs continue to manifest the presence and action of God. Under the authority of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, let us lift up our prayers, concerns and needs to the Lord and request that wherever we have previously experienced fear and lack, we may experience faith and plenty.
Scripture Reflection for the Week of July 13th, 2009
The lectionary Gospel reading for this Sunday, July 19th is taken from Mark 6:30-34, 53-56. The passage tells of a vacation Jesus planned for his disciples after a season of intense ministry, but the vacation is interrupted by crowds of people who followed Jesus and his disciples. In one of the most memorable lines of the Gospels, we are told that Jesus “saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” Compassion for others is one of the marks of Christian ministry and life. Compassion in action is difficult because it usually requires something from us. In the case of the Gospel story, it required giving up their retreat plans. Jesus’ alone time with his disciples was totally interrupted by the crowds who were in need of knowledge and healing.
Compassion in action, not just in imagination, is one of the callings of each Christian. But so often compassion does not come naturally to us. Usually, our first reaction is inconvenience, judgment or even anger. Compassion in action requires a reservoir of grace. We fill this reservoir during worship and prayer, and sometimes in solitude in nature. This reservoir of grace will be useful when we are interrupted by the demands of life and called upon to respond when we had other plans. Our Lord Jesus is the model of compassion in action, and when we feel that we fall short, we are embraced in Christ’s loving compassion and given the knowledge and healing necessary for our continued growth in transforming works of love.
Scripture Reflection for the Week of July 5th, 2009
The lectionary Gospel reading for this Sunday, July 12th is taken from Mark 6.14 – 29, where we read of John the Baptist’s beheading. This story contains great depth of meaning revealing much about the human condition.
John the Baptist is a cousin and forerunner to Jesus. He is also a symbol of the ancient prophets of old, like Elijah. This is why John the Baptist is not the first Christian martyr. That honor is given to Stephen, who was stoned to death while Saul – who would later become the Apostle Paul – looked on (Acts 7). John the Baptist is a persecuted prophet, not a martyred Christian. John, like many other Jewish prophets, was killed for speaking the Word of the Lord. While it is important to understand the historical elements of this story, it is also important to see the possible psychological and spiritual depth this passage can reveal for our own lives.
One way to do this is to ask: what part of my personality is like Herod and Herodias? Herod and Herodias, in addition to being historical figures in first century Palestine are also symbols for that which is unlawful. Remember, Herodias was Herod’s brother’s wife. Thus, this is an unnatural, unlawful union and it represents the human propensity to live against the Law of God. Whereas Herod was fearful of John, Herodias was hardened of heart to John. Fear and hard-heartedness are telling symptoms that something in one’s life is unlawful, that is to say, is not under the authority of the Word of God. If such unlawfulness is allowed to take root in us and grow (Psalm 1) it can take on a life of its own, even to the extent that it leads one to remove (i.e. behead) anything that reveals or speaks against the unlawfulness operating in one’s life. In the case of Herod and Herodias, this meant cutting the Prophet’s head off, literally.
The phrase “live under the authority of the Word of God” is not meant to be heavy-handed or self-righteous, as it has often been conveyed in some Christian contexts. Rather, “the authority of the Word of God” is actually meant in a transformative, healing way. Consider this analogy: my computer needs electricity to work. When the connection is not lined up correctly, and the wire jiggles around, it causes the computer to function sporadically, unlawfully, unnaturally from the way it was intended. In a similar way, we human beings are the “computer” and God’s word is the electricity, “alive and active” (Hebrews 4.12). Thus, to live under the authority of the Word of God is to stand in correct alignment, that is, to stand under it in order to receive its life-giving and protecting benefits. Notice, that Jesus ascended to God. This teaches us that our spiritual journey is always under but also toward God. In our union with Christ, we are also “raised” to live in newness of life with God, that is, reconciled, reconnected, aligned, empowered.
Over time, the aligning properties of the Word of God create “upright/righteous,” balanced people. We follow the narrow way. We do not swerve here and there on the broad way of unlawfulness. This connects with the old concept of being “true,” that is “aligned.” It is for this reason that the apostle John wrote, years after John the Baptist’s beheading, that “if we say that we have no sin [misguided, unlawfulness], we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins [misdirection, unlawfulness], he who is faithful and just [aligned] will forgive us our sins and cleanse [heal] us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1.8 – 10). This, through our connection with the Living and Written Word of God, we are re-ordered and brought into alignment with God’s intention for us. Thus is rooted in God’s ever available and persistent Love and Grace.
May our meditation upon the life and death of John the Baptist, in the context of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension, be productive for our spiritual, psychological and communal life together as we seek to live dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 5).
Scripture Reflection for the Week of June 29th, 2009
The lectionary Gospel reading for this Sunday, July 5th is taken from Mark 6. 1 – 13. It records the occasion when Jesus returned home to teach in his “home-church.” At first, folks were amazed, wondering how it was that Jesus – son of Joseph the carpenter – now had so much “wisdom” and “power.” Because they could not believe this Jesus was anything more than Joseph’s son, the text says that they took offense to Jesus, and as a result, “he could do no deed of power there.” Notice that they call him just a man: “where did this man get all this wisdom and power?” In our daily experiences it is easy to deny the presence of God. It is easy to say, “this is just a business deal.” This is “just watching a TV program.” This is just “going shopping.” It is easy to only take things as they appear to our conditioned senses. Jesus’ townspeople saw just a man, Joseph’s son. Faith is required to see differently. Faith is necessary to move beyond appearances. Faith is the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11.1). This Gospel story reminds us to see with eyes of faith. People are always more than meets the eye. One never knows when a prophet, or an angel, or even the Lord may be in your midst willing to provide wisdom and power. Every Blessing in God’s Love, Peter
Scripture Reflection for the Week of June 22nd, 2009
The Gospel reading for this Sunday, June 28th is taken from Matthew 7. 1 – 5. In this passage, Jesus is teaching his disciples about the risk of judging others. Jesus gives the memorable line, “You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” In youth ministry, the kids used to call this a case of “plank eye.” It is a graphic image: walking around with a two by four lodged in your eye, while judging the splinter in someone else’s eye. A contemplative interpretation of this passage illumines the role the eye plays in seeing, but, there is something much deeper going on. I like the line by Flannery O’Conner who wrote in her collection of letters, Mystery and Manners, that “the roots of the eyes are in the heart.” Interior life symbolized by “the heart” is often at the forefront of Jesus concerns. He is not interested in white-washed spirituality. Jesus wants to get Christ on the inside of us, and this will take a total transformation of our perspectives, thoughts, feelings, in sum, our judging tendencies. Judgment is a form of thought. It is predominately a negative thought form because it is based in comparison and separation: this is not that. You are not me. I prefer this not that. I love you and not you. You are acceptable, but you are not. One of the best friends of judgment is the word “But.” I love you, but…On and on it goes, creating categories that lead to separation. The issue for Jesus is that this kind of thinking creates hypocrites. To be a hypocrite is to be unreal. That is, to not live in congruence with that which is true on the inside. The truth hides under the veneer of personality, which attempts to cover all manner of foul and separative thoughts. One of the remedies to judgment is to begin to notice just how much you go about judging others throughout the day. As we begin to observe this powerful force at work within us, the light of love can enter in and the possibility of transformation occurs. This can lead us to be just persons. To be just is to be balanced, and as a balanced person, under no compulsion to judge others. Judgment and justice go hand in hand. When justice or inner balance is lacking, one swings to one side or the other in judgment. Thus, to be centered is to be just, and to be just is to be righteous and to be righteous is to be free from judgment and grounded in love. Jesus is reminding us to stop using our sensory perceptions to base reality upon. He is leading us into the organ of truth that is the heart. He is teaching us of the power of the emotional dimensions of our thought-life and the profound invitation to begin to observe that we are indeed hypocrites, and in this place consent to Christ’s removing of our beams of judgment so he can replace it with beams of love blazing forth in total freedom and acceptance. Every blessing in the love of God, Peter Haas
