"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. but the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."(Luke 7:47)
We've all been told that little things mean a lot. But how often do we fail to respond to small things being done for us. Perhaps even things that just happen every day and feel almost routine, but boy if they didn't happen we'd be upset.
We certainly know how to respond when something really big occurs. We know how to show gratitude for huge things in our lives. The noticeable, WOW moments.
At first I didn't fully get his verse. Then I realized that Jesus was pointing to all that the woman had done for him, "she has shown great love." And he compares her lavish reaction to his presence which led to her forgiveness, which mirrored the hospitality he should have received from Simon. Simon who might not have had as much to be forgiven, just seems to ignore the hospitality rules.
When you get something you long for, but are not sure you deserve, it would be hard not to start reacting abundantly. When it just seems like a normal day, hard to get the same level. Yet it may be that we miss how extraordinary each day really is.
Blessings,
Ed
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Reflection for October 28, 2014
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."(Luke 6:37)
I'm usually more for things that tell me what to do, not what not to to do. However this verse gives me both. I certainly don't want to be judged. I don't wish for others the critique that comes with it. Therefore I try to avoid judging. It may be true that we judge things all the time. If I say I like something I've judged it. Same if I say I don't like something. So perhaps the real problem lies not in the judging, but having it become a way of being, judgmental. We all know judgmental people. Not only do they do the analysis in their head regarding something, but they feel entitled to share their conclusions. This may not be so bad if their conclusions are positive, a good restaurant for example, but when the only thing that comes out of their judging is what's wrong with something or someone, then there is a real problem. Are they ready for a huge critique and analysis of themselves by someone else? Probably not.
What usually follows the negative judging is condemning. The putting down of others, the continuous ridicule, the shaming. And if we're really full of ourselves will let those folks know that it is God doing, we're just God's mouthpiece. Again are those doing the condemning, whether they take ownership of it, or try to make it all about God, are they ready to face the same level of scrutiny? And worse, what if God isn't all that pleased with people putting words in his mouth?
The last part those is phrased in a positive, the commandment to forgive. Can we be the type of people who don't harp on faults and don't hold onto hurts? If we expect others to give us another chance when we have an all to human moment, when we are less than perfect, then we have to do the same.
Where I really find it helpful is that in living a life that is more forgiving of others and myself is far healthier in the long run, than judging and condemning others and ultimately myself.
Blessings,
Ed
I'm usually more for things that tell me what to do, not what not to to do. However this verse gives me both. I certainly don't want to be judged. I don't wish for others the critique that comes with it. Therefore I try to avoid judging. It may be true that we judge things all the time. If I say I like something I've judged it. Same if I say I don't like something. So perhaps the real problem lies not in the judging, but having it become a way of being, judgmental. We all know judgmental people. Not only do they do the analysis in their head regarding something, but they feel entitled to share their conclusions. This may not be so bad if their conclusions are positive, a good restaurant for example, but when the only thing that comes out of their judging is what's wrong with something or someone, then there is a real problem. Are they ready for a huge critique and analysis of themselves by someone else? Probably not.
What usually follows the negative judging is condemning. The putting down of others, the continuous ridicule, the shaming. And if we're really full of ourselves will let those folks know that it is God doing, we're just God's mouthpiece. Again are those doing the condemning, whether they take ownership of it, or try to make it all about God, are they ready to face the same level of scrutiny? And worse, what if God isn't all that pleased with people putting words in his mouth?
The last part those is phrased in a positive, the commandment to forgive. Can we be the type of people who don't harp on faults and don't hold onto hurts? If we expect others to give us another chance when we have an all to human moment, when we are less than perfect, then we have to do the same.
Where I really find it helpful is that in living a life that is more forgiving of others and myself is far healthier in the long run, than judging and condemning others and ultimately myself.
Blessings,
Ed
Monday, October 27, 2014
Reflection for October 27, 2014
"And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'the old is good.'"(Luke 5:39)
I don't know very much about wine. I certainly have heard people talking about certain years being great for some reason. But basically I'm clueless.
I do know that in life, there are things we get used to, and believe that they are good. It can be music, books, worship styles almost anything that isn't actually objective in measurements. All's I'm stating is a preference for one thing over another.
And while I can get stuck in my tastes, I do try to occasionally look at new things. I'm not always convinced that something new is necessarily the best, but if I can broaden my horizons all the better.
There isn't necessarily anything wrong with having preferences, the problem is when we become frozen in time, and rigid in our opinions and unwilling to allow others to enjoy something else.
Growth for me occurs when while knowing what I like, experiencing new things and perhaps adding them into my list of what brings me joy in life, can only increase my love for living.
Blessings,
Ed
I don't know very much about wine. I certainly have heard people talking about certain years being great for some reason. But basically I'm clueless.
I do know that in life, there are things we get used to, and believe that they are good. It can be music, books, worship styles almost anything that isn't actually objective in measurements. All's I'm stating is a preference for one thing over another.
And while I can get stuck in my tastes, I do try to occasionally look at new things. I'm not always convinced that something new is necessarily the best, but if I can broaden my horizons all the better.
There isn't necessarily anything wrong with having preferences, the problem is when we become frozen in time, and rigid in our opinions and unwilling to allow others to enjoy something else.
Growth for me occurs when while knowing what I like, experiencing new things and perhaps adding them into my list of what brings me joy in life, can only increase my love for living.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Reflection for October 23, 2014
"But Mary treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart."(Luke 2:19)
I don't have a keepsake box or a file filled with letters, but sometimes I wished did. I certainly have things scattered all over the place that when I rediscover them, I'm amazed. There are people of course who do keep old letters or mementos from their past, because to go back and look a them can be helpful in understanding where we've been and perhaps where we might be going.
When we treasure something it has value to us. We may store it away to bring out later when we need it. Treasuring is a way of remembering.
I think it very helpful that Mary chooses to ponder words and not immediately react to them. That's hard for me as an extrovert to do. Take some time to allow the full meaning of what is said to sink in. Give the space for my reaction to be thought through and perhaps even come to the conclusion that no rebuttal is necessary.
But we live in an immediate world. Between twitter and instant messaging we can fire away the first thing that comes to our mind in reaction to something that was said or written. Perhaps treasuring and pondering might actually be the best thing to do, before we hit send.
Blessings,
Ed
I don't have a keepsake box or a file filled with letters, but sometimes I wished did. I certainly have things scattered all over the place that when I rediscover them, I'm amazed. There are people of course who do keep old letters or mementos from their past, because to go back and look a them can be helpful in understanding where we've been and perhaps where we might be going.
When we treasure something it has value to us. We may store it away to bring out later when we need it. Treasuring is a way of remembering.
I think it very helpful that Mary chooses to ponder words and not immediately react to them. That's hard for me as an extrovert to do. Take some time to allow the full meaning of what is said to sink in. Give the space for my reaction to be thought through and perhaps even come to the conclusion that no rebuttal is necessary.
But we live in an immediate world. Between twitter and instant messaging we can fire away the first thing that comes to our mind in reaction to something that was said or written. Perhaps treasuring and pondering might actually be the best thing to do, before we hit send.
Blessings,
Ed
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Reflection for October 22, 2014
"We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic."(Numbers 11;6)
It is funny how when we are in a place where things aren't going well, one of the first things we do is try to remember better times. If we can put ourselves mentally back to a place where we thought everything was perfect, or at least where our current problems didn't exist, then maybe we can endure this period.
I'm just as capable of historical escapism as the next person. I can create a "golden age of Ed" but the truth will always be that I'm ignoring the parts that weren't so great.
The Israelites remembered all the good food they had in Egypt! And when you're hungry and eating pretty bland stuff day after day, I suppose it is understandable. They of course forgot the reason they left Egypt in the first place, the harsh mistreatment as slaves.
The journey to a brighter future is rarely without some level of pain. And we may recall the good things of our past. But rather than being a source of comparison, we might be better off using them as a gentle push to keep moving forward.
Blessings,
Ed
It is funny how when we are in a place where things aren't going well, one of the first things we do is try to remember better times. If we can put ourselves mentally back to a place where we thought everything was perfect, or at least where our current problems didn't exist, then maybe we can endure this period.
I'm just as capable of historical escapism as the next person. I can create a "golden age of Ed" but the truth will always be that I'm ignoring the parts that weren't so great.
The Israelites remembered all the good food they had in Egypt! And when you're hungry and eating pretty bland stuff day after day, I suppose it is understandable. They of course forgot the reason they left Egypt in the first place, the harsh mistreatment as slaves.
The journey to a brighter future is rarely without some level of pain. And we may recall the good things of our past. But rather than being a source of comparison, we might be better off using them as a gentle push to keep moving forward.
Blessings,
Ed
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Reflection for October 21, 2014
"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my help and my God."(Psalm 42:11)
Since my life seems to be one of rolling hills, meaning peaks and valleys, but never to high or to low, I know when I'm in a valley period. I can tell by my outlook and by my level of anxiousness and worry. Or as the psalmist put it, cast down and disquieted.
When I'm in those places it is hard for me to see upward. I feel like life is just piling on. When I get tired of being in that place, I start to ask the question, what is really going on? Why are you feeling cast down? There may be good reasons. Something isn't working the way I thought. Perhaps I've been rejected in some way. I'm sure all of us can name what puts us in that place.
Same thing with being disquieted. When our own personal fears and worries get topped off with all the craziness in the world outside of ourselves, being disquieted almost seems reasonable.
One of the places that I turn to first when I've grown weary from being cast down and disquieted is to God. Those conversations, you could call it prayer, which allow me the space to process what is going on, and to be able to see more clearly the way out.
The beauty of that journey out that it begins with that first ray of hope. For me knowing that God is still there. That the promise that praise rather than lament can and will be the mode of operation for me.
Because I claim that God, I can receive the help. Not so much in a passive way that insists that God fix everything, but in that encouragement to get up and get moving again. That I am not alone. And that by looking up, questioning what is going on and by accepting the help offered, all can be well again.
Blessings,
Ed
Since my life seems to be one of rolling hills, meaning peaks and valleys, but never to high or to low, I know when I'm in a valley period. I can tell by my outlook and by my level of anxiousness and worry. Or as the psalmist put it, cast down and disquieted.
When I'm in those places it is hard for me to see upward. I feel like life is just piling on. When I get tired of being in that place, I start to ask the question, what is really going on? Why are you feeling cast down? There may be good reasons. Something isn't working the way I thought. Perhaps I've been rejected in some way. I'm sure all of us can name what puts us in that place.
Same thing with being disquieted. When our own personal fears and worries get topped off with all the craziness in the world outside of ourselves, being disquieted almost seems reasonable.
One of the places that I turn to first when I've grown weary from being cast down and disquieted is to God. Those conversations, you could call it prayer, which allow me the space to process what is going on, and to be able to see more clearly the way out.
The beauty of that journey out that it begins with that first ray of hope. For me knowing that God is still there. That the promise that praise rather than lament can and will be the mode of operation for me.
Because I claim that God, I can receive the help. Not so much in a passive way that insists that God fix everything, but in that encouragement to get up and get moving again. That I am not alone. And that by looking up, questioning what is going on and by accepting the help offered, all can be well again.
Blessings,
Ed
Monday, October 20, 2014
Reflection for October 20, 2014
"And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."(Mark 15:38)
One of the first ecumenical Good Friday services that I participated in here in Wenonah, I preached on the tearing of the temple curtain. I pointed out the significance of that tearing. How in Jesus' death we were given access to God. There was nothing to keep us away. And yet how tragic it was that many in the body of Christ would seek to repair that curtain and block others from God's presence again.
I wonder what obstacles to the God's presence in our lives still exist.? What walls of separation need to be torn down? Or are we now at time when God is like an option on the game show Let's make a Deal, where you can choose to find out what's behind curtain number 1.
Curtains can of course give color and decoration to a room. But they can also shut out the light.
The opening of a curtain signifies the beginning of a show. Can we by peeking behind the various curtains start to notice God's activity in our lives and in our world.
Blessings,
Ed
One of the first ecumenical Good Friday services that I participated in here in Wenonah, I preached on the tearing of the temple curtain. I pointed out the significance of that tearing. How in Jesus' death we were given access to God. There was nothing to keep us away. And yet how tragic it was that many in the body of Christ would seek to repair that curtain and block others from God's presence again.
I wonder what obstacles to the God's presence in our lives still exist.? What walls of separation need to be torn down? Or are we now at time when God is like an option on the game show Let's make a Deal, where you can choose to find out what's behind curtain number 1.
Curtains can of course give color and decoration to a room. But they can also shut out the light.
The opening of a curtain signifies the beginning of a show. Can we by peeking behind the various curtains start to notice God's activity in our lives and in our world.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Reflection for October 16, 2014
"Jesus said to them, 'Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God."(Mark 12:24)
Sometimes we get things wrong. Perhaps we misunderstood something, whether it be something we read or perhaps heard. It is also true that we can read in an interpretation that we like better. We can also be wrong when we choose to doubt something or underestimate the possibility.
It is of course a double whammy when you not only misunderstood but then undersestimated on top of it.
Jesus gets into it with the Sadducees, this time. They deny the resurrection, (that is why they are sad you see.) So they throw out the most over the top theoretical question. They sort of knew the law about making sure that heirs are provided to keep the family name alive. We don't practice this anymore. But the Bible never takes it beyond that. So they do as most people who don't really want an answer will do and conjure up some extreme possibility. He also accuses them of no understanding the power of God. To deny the resurrection is to pretty much say that God can't do something.
I try to know the scripture as well as I can, that's why I read it constantly. I do know what it says, though I'm sure there are people who may disagree with how I interpret and apply it. I know the power of God well enough to avoid saying what God will or won't, can or can't do. I find it better to watch and see.
Blessings,
Ed
Sometimes we get things wrong. Perhaps we misunderstood something, whether it be something we read or perhaps heard. It is also true that we can read in an interpretation that we like better. We can also be wrong when we choose to doubt something or underestimate the possibility.
It is of course a double whammy when you not only misunderstood but then undersestimated on top of it.
Jesus gets into it with the Sadducees, this time. They deny the resurrection, (that is why they are sad you see.) So they throw out the most over the top theoretical question. They sort of knew the law about making sure that heirs are provided to keep the family name alive. We don't practice this anymore. But the Bible never takes it beyond that. So they do as most people who don't really want an answer will do and conjure up some extreme possibility. He also accuses them of no understanding the power of God. To deny the resurrection is to pretty much say that God can't do something.
I try to know the scripture as well as I can, that's why I read it constantly. I do know what it says, though I'm sure there are people who may disagree with how I interpret and apply it. I know the power of God well enough to avoid saying what God will or won't, can or can't do. I find it better to watch and see.
Blessings,
Ed
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Reflection for 10/15
"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that you Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."(Mark 11:25)
While many people believe in multi-tasking I'm not sure that it can happen in every activity. I know that if I let other concerns enter my mind when I am at the gym, my routine slows down. I lose count of how many sets I've done. When I stay focused on why I am there, it goes much better.
The other exercise in my life is prayer. Again when I stay focused on what I'm doing and why, it goes better. When I think of the different forms of prayer, for example centering prayer or walking a labyrinth, the process of emptying my mind so that I can hear more clearly what God needs me to hear, is essential.
While Jesus is not advocating any particular method of prayer, he does point out a real stumbling block in prayer. If I am focused on the wrong that has been done to me by another, it will be hard to enter into a helpful place of prayer. Perhaps the invitation is that before we get going on what we'd like to have happen, or whatever it might be that we are praying for, we need to make sure that we have started the day off with a fresh slate, not only for others, but for ourselves as well. Perhaps that is why a general confession of sin is found so early in the service of Morning Prayer.
And what is so true is that offering forgiveness is not for the person whose done the wrong, but it is for ourselves. It is the first step in healing, it is essential to letting go and moving on. It gets us past our hurt and anger and frees us up to focus on the things that really matter.
Blessings,
Ed
While many people believe in multi-tasking I'm not sure that it can happen in every activity. I know that if I let other concerns enter my mind when I am at the gym, my routine slows down. I lose count of how many sets I've done. When I stay focused on why I am there, it goes much better.
The other exercise in my life is prayer. Again when I stay focused on what I'm doing and why, it goes better. When I think of the different forms of prayer, for example centering prayer or walking a labyrinth, the process of emptying my mind so that I can hear more clearly what God needs me to hear, is essential.
While Jesus is not advocating any particular method of prayer, he does point out a real stumbling block in prayer. If I am focused on the wrong that has been done to me by another, it will be hard to enter into a helpful place of prayer. Perhaps the invitation is that before we get going on what we'd like to have happen, or whatever it might be that we are praying for, we need to make sure that we have started the day off with a fresh slate, not only for others, but for ourselves as well. Perhaps that is why a general confession of sin is found so early in the service of Morning Prayer.
And what is so true is that offering forgiveness is not for the person whose done the wrong, but it is for ourselves. It is the first step in healing, it is essential to letting go and moving on. It gets us past our hurt and anger and frees us up to focus on the things that really matter.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Reflections for 10/9/14
"When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him."(Mark 6:20)
At some point or another you have probably encountered a speaker who you like to listen to. Perhaps it is their tone of voice. Maybe you find what they have to say insightful. Or it could be that they challenge your thinking. Maybe you just like to get angry.
When I hear things that perplex me, I try to listen harder, to ask questions, to see if I can gain some understanding. Is there a different way of looking at something that a speaker is offering? I don't know that there is anyone I listen to constantly. I do like Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, but I don't hang on their every word.
I try to not just listen to people who will tell me what I already know or believe. But who offer me a challenge to think harder, to decide what it is I really believe, and who might actually be willing to engage in a conversation with me.
Blessings,
Ed
At some point or another you have probably encountered a speaker who you like to listen to. Perhaps it is their tone of voice. Maybe you find what they have to say insightful. Or it could be that they challenge your thinking. Maybe you just like to get angry.
When I hear things that perplex me, I try to listen harder, to ask questions, to see if I can gain some understanding. Is there a different way of looking at something that a speaker is offering? I don't know that there is anyone I listen to constantly. I do like Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert, but I don't hang on their every word.
I try to not just listen to people who will tell me what I already know or believe. But who offer me a challenge to think harder, to decide what it is I really believe, and who might actually be willing to engage in a conversation with me.
Blessings,
Ed
Monday, October 6, 2014
Reflection for October 6, 2014
"But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin."(Mark 3:29)
When I was a curate, the Rector of the parish and I were talking about this passage and he said that it always made him nervous. It was mainly do to the fact that he wasn't sure what blaspheming the Holy Spirit might be. And he certainly didn't want to do something that he couldn't be forgiven for.
Mark tells us in the next verse that it was because they said Jesus had a demon and that is how he was doing all the miracles. In other words doubting that God could possibly work through some one to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world.
For me blaspheming the Holy Spirit is about saying that something can't be. Deciding that because I don't like something God might not be able to do it. Pretty presumptuous for me to decide that what I want to do is what God might also want to do.
But I also have another thought about this. What if I believe I've done something that is unforgivable. When I begin to doubt that forgiveness is even possible. That is also blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I've again decided what I can accept, instead of accepting that gracious gift of the Spirit. You can't have something when you won't believe it is possible. And the inability to accept that forgiveness might very well make it eternal.
Blessings,
Ed
When I was a curate, the Rector of the parish and I were talking about this passage and he said that it always made him nervous. It was mainly do to the fact that he wasn't sure what blaspheming the Holy Spirit might be. And he certainly didn't want to do something that he couldn't be forgiven for.
Mark tells us in the next verse that it was because they said Jesus had a demon and that is how he was doing all the miracles. In other words doubting that God could possibly work through some one to bring healing and wholeness to a broken world.
For me blaspheming the Holy Spirit is about saying that something can't be. Deciding that because I don't like something God might not be able to do it. Pretty presumptuous for me to decide that what I want to do is what God might also want to do.
But I also have another thought about this. What if I believe I've done something that is unforgivable. When I begin to doubt that forgiveness is even possible. That is also blaspheming the Holy Spirit. I've again decided what I can accept, instead of accepting that gracious gift of the Spirit. You can't have something when you won't believe it is possible. And the inability to accept that forgiveness might very well make it eternal.
Blessings,
Ed
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Reflection for October 4, 2014
"No one sows a piece of unstrung cloth on an old cloak, otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old and a worse tear is made."(Mark 2:21)
I don't know much about sewing. I certainly have seen patched up clothes. In some ways they can be quite fashionable I guess. A patch of course is a fix to a problem, whether it be clothes, a tire or a wall. Ultimately there will come a time when you need to just replace completely whatever it is that you patched.
When we try to patch things up in our lives, we may fix something temporarily or if we're lucky it might even hold, but the reality is it is not the same as it was. We patch because what has a hole in it is valuable to us. But the patch will always remind us that it is no longer the same.
There may be times in our lives when there is no point to patching. We need to let go of that object or part of our lives that is broken and can't be fixed. To open our eyes, heart and mind to new possibilities. But until we can do that, patching may be all we can handle.
Blessings,
Ed
I don't know much about sewing. I certainly have seen patched up clothes. In some ways they can be quite fashionable I guess. A patch of course is a fix to a problem, whether it be clothes, a tire or a wall. Ultimately there will come a time when you need to just replace completely whatever it is that you patched.
When we try to patch things up in our lives, we may fix something temporarily or if we're lucky it might even hold, but the reality is it is not the same as it was. We patch because what has a hole in it is valuable to us. But the patch will always remind us that it is no longer the same.
There may be times in our lives when there is no point to patching. We need to let go of that object or part of our lives that is broken and can't be fixed. To open our eyes, heart and mind to new possibilities. But until we can do that, patching may be all we can handle.
Blessings,
Ed
Friday, October 3, 2014
Reflection for October 3, 2014
"In the morning while it was still dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place and there he prayed."(Mark 1:35)
I've always been a morning person. For some reason my internal alarm clock rarely let's me go past 7 am. For awhile now I've been getting up while it is still dark and heading over to the gym.
I will grant that the gym is not a deserted place, there are other people there as well. But while I am working on some "temple maintenance," I do find it to be a somewhat prayerful time as well. I don't really talk to people but I do a lot of thinking and conversing with God about the day ahead, and other things that are weighing on my heart.
While I don't do morning prayer in the dark because 1) I need light to see since I read from the Book of Common Prayer and 2) My eyes don't function as well before I've had my coffee.
But I certainly can get why Jesus chose to get up before everyone else and go to a deserted place. First others might wake up and want to talk. Second he knew that prayer is sometimes best done when and where there are no distractions.
When is the best time for you to commune with God? Do you have a place to go and just be alone without distractions? If you don't, is it possible to create such a time and place?
Blessings,
Ed
I've always been a morning person. For some reason my internal alarm clock rarely let's me go past 7 am. For awhile now I've been getting up while it is still dark and heading over to the gym.
I will grant that the gym is not a deserted place, there are other people there as well. But while I am working on some "temple maintenance," I do find it to be a somewhat prayerful time as well. I don't really talk to people but I do a lot of thinking and conversing with God about the day ahead, and other things that are weighing on my heart.
While I don't do morning prayer in the dark because 1) I need light to see since I read from the Book of Common Prayer and 2) My eyes don't function as well before I've had my coffee.
But I certainly can get why Jesus chose to get up before everyone else and go to a deserted place. First others might wake up and want to talk. Second he knew that prayer is sometimes best done when and where there are no distractions.
When is the best time for you to commune with God? Do you have a place to go and just be alone without distractions? If you don't, is it possible to create such a time and place?
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Reflection for October 2, 2014
"When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, 'Come make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'"(Exodus 32:1)
The story of the golden calf is one of those that I can still see the picture of from my children's bible story book. Pretty impressive thing they made. Wow they had a lot of gold. The story of course is there as a warning against idolatry, one of the 10 commandments. Funny thing is that they hadn't gotten the 10 commandments at this point, but I digress.
While I'm not sure you can violate a rule that you don't know exists, the story for me also points to a deep human need. A symbol of some kind that makes us feel secure. When we watch our lives take a turn that we aren't equipped to deal with quite yet, we attempt to find some kind of touchstone to keep us centered, to perhaps makes us feel secure through this tumultuous period. The reality of life is we make "golden calves" all the time.
The biggest problem is these creations tend to replace the trust we have that God is truly present with us. And then grows into something bigger than just a security blanket.
Ask yourself if you have any "golden calves" in your own life? Is there something that makes you feel secure even though it too could disappear or perhaps cause you more pain than it is worth? When we seek to hold onto these safety devices, we miss the real security that comes from loving and being loved by God.
Blessings,
Ed
The story of the golden calf is one of those that I can still see the picture of from my children's bible story book. Pretty impressive thing they made. Wow they had a lot of gold. The story of course is there as a warning against idolatry, one of the 10 commandments. Funny thing is that they hadn't gotten the 10 commandments at this point, but I digress.
While I'm not sure you can violate a rule that you don't know exists, the story for me also points to a deep human need. A symbol of some kind that makes us feel secure. When we watch our lives take a turn that we aren't equipped to deal with quite yet, we attempt to find some kind of touchstone to keep us centered, to perhaps makes us feel secure through this tumultuous period. The reality of life is we make "golden calves" all the time.
The biggest problem is these creations tend to replace the trust we have that God is truly present with us. And then grows into something bigger than just a security blanket.
Ask yourself if you have any "golden calves" in your own life? Is there something that makes you feel secure even though it too could disappear or perhaps cause you more pain than it is worth? When we seek to hold onto these safety devices, we miss the real security that comes from loving and being loved by God.
Blessings,
Ed
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Reflection for October 1, 2014
"So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying 'I am innocent of this man's blood, see to it yourselves.'"(Matthew 27:24)
There are many scenes in the Passion of Christ, the biblical accounts not the movie. Some are found in all the Gospels, but others are unique to in one of them. Pilate washing his hands of the whole affair is one.
We've all heard that expression "washing my hands of it." The idea being that even though we knew of it, we didn't participate. Don't come looking to me if it goes horribly wrong or you get in trouble.
The problem of course is that once you know of something that is going to happen and choose to do nothing to stop it, even though you know it is wrong, no symbolic gesture is going to matter.
Pilate if he had a spine could have stopped it, but chose the expediency of not having a riot to deal with. Yes as a Christian his inaction leads to my salvation, but it doesn't free him from guilt.
I'm sure there are many times that I've wished to just wash my hands of something. To make sure that I'm not associated with it. But what I've come to understand is that anything I know of becomes engrained in my memory, and unless I take some sort of action, my conscience probably won't get a lot of rest. Sometimes doing the right thing, might not always be the safest.
Blessings,
Ed
There are many scenes in the Passion of Christ, the biblical accounts not the movie. Some are found in all the Gospels, but others are unique to in one of them. Pilate washing his hands of the whole affair is one.
We've all heard that expression "washing my hands of it." The idea being that even though we knew of it, we didn't participate. Don't come looking to me if it goes horribly wrong or you get in trouble.
The problem of course is that once you know of something that is going to happen and choose to do nothing to stop it, even though you know it is wrong, no symbolic gesture is going to matter.
Pilate if he had a spine could have stopped it, but chose the expediency of not having a riot to deal with. Yes as a Christian his inaction leads to my salvation, but it doesn't free him from guilt.
I'm sure there are many times that I've wished to just wash my hands of something. To make sure that I'm not associated with it. But what I've come to understand is that anything I know of becomes engrained in my memory, and unless I take some sort of action, my conscience probably won't get a lot of rest. Sometimes doing the right thing, might not always be the safest.
Blessings,
Ed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
