“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
—Luke 23.37
Christians like to talk of being saved,
but destroy the meaning
when they talk about “getting saved,”
like it’s something you can do.
Listen. If you’re drowning, saving yourself isn’t getting saved;
it’s just swimming.
The definition of being saved is being rescued
by someone when you yourself couldn’t do it.
We are all saved, even Jesus:
given life we can’t create, given grace we can’t control,
given love that can’t be earned, forgiveness that is not deserved.
Even giving your life to Jesus doesn’t get you saved.
God saves you. Even when you can’t swim to Jesus.
God rescues us from our separation from God
by being one with us even when we separate ourselves.
God rescues us from our selfishness
by giving us the love we didn’t have.
God makes of our lives what we can’t on our own.
We are all saved. Rescued. Salvaged.
Jesus does not ask us to be saved.
Only to trust God and love our neighbors.
Not because we can get saved, but because we are saved.
The One who shows me that miracle
is indeed the one who rules my heart.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net