Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so must the Human One be lifted up,
that whoever believes in the Beloved may have eternal life.
—John 3.14
“Lifted up,” honored, looked up to.
We keep our yes on Jesus, and it gives us life.
“Lifted up” like the bronze serpent: on a pole.
Lifted up on a cross, not in honor but disgrace.
Jesus exposes our violence by suffering it
without cause, without recrimination,
exposes our fear
and our poor, snake-bitten need for healing.
Just suffers and forgives.
And that grace brings us to life.
We trust the power of God’s forgiveness for us,
and forgive and trust its power,
and we are truly, deeply, infinitely alive.
“Lifted up,” raised from the dead.
We give of ourselves,
suffer for the sake of love,
and we are lifted up,
lifted out of all suffering,
raised up to such deep life
that nothing can put us down,
not even death.
It’s solid. It’s absolute. It’s eternal.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
To receive Unfolding Light as a daily e-mail,
write to me at unfoldinglight(at)gmail.com