Prepare yourself for a random stream of thought... Courage, hope, life and compassion are the themes rummaging around in my head this week. On Sunday I'm speaking to my community, Revelation Church, on Jesus' words,
"I am the resurrection and the life." John 11:25.
It's an incredible passage. Jesus arrives to find that someone he loves (Lazarus) has died and in verse 35, the shortest verse in the Bible, it says that "Jesus wept." Jesus... wept... Jesus who went on to raise Lazarus to life... who knew the future hope... who had the power... stopped and wept in present pain.
Pain and Joy. Loss and hope. Death and Life.
We each live with these opposites everyday. You don't have to look far to see the promise of life in a new born baby or a relationship reconciled. You don't also have to look very far to see brokeness, injustice, depression, disconnection... The kingdom of God is here; and it's fullness is yet to come...
People living with the eternal perspective of resurrection life have to be able to be comfortable with paradox. How do we keep sight of Jesus, of the hope and life he offers? How do we remain courageous hope-rs even in the face of apparent failure or death?
I WANT COURAGEOUS HOPE!
A hope that is rooted in something deep and stable, in someone loving and good. A hope that will carry me through life and all it has to throw at me. Everytime I'm knocked down I want to get back up and dare to believe that things will be better, that God is moving. I want to pray with that hope, love with that hope, live like that hope and life and love is all that matters. I want a heart like Jesus' that can be fully present in pain but with the courage to bring life through God...
I think that I can't talk about resurection hope without talking about brokeness and pain. Feels a bit heavy and I'm nervous. Lots of praying and thinking and reading to do between now and Sunday but I guess I'll get there. If my current thoughts are headed in the right direction then God will give me a way to express them...
Hmm this all reads very negative but it's actually really positive in my head. What use is hope if it's not needed. There is a lot of need. How do we live as people praying, breathing, living, bringing ressurection life here and now? Don't hold me to this stream of thought - I reserve the right to end up going in another direction with this passage on Sunday, but here and now, its provoking some interesting conversation... x