The World is About to Turn

I taught Sunday school a few weeks ago. I took the lesson out of Adam Hamilton's book, Not a Silent Night. For chapter 4, Mary, Full of Grace, he suggests using the song "Canticle of the Turning," a rewriting of the Magnificat, as a part of the lesson.

This is the chorus:

My heart shall sing of the day you bring.Let the fires of your justice burn.Wipe away all tears,For the dawn draws near,And the world is about to turn.

The world is about to turn. Mary, in her song, sees the world as it is, and she sees what the coming of Jesus will mean. Christ will bring justice and mercy to God's people. She, though her obedience, will make it possible. This is part of why she is said to be "full of grace." She has received the grace fo God, and she knows it. She knows what it means to respond, by sharing grace with the world. And she knows the difference it will make - that it can cause the world to turn.

Where in your life do you need to share the grace of God? Where in your life, and in the lives of those around you, can you be God's light? Where can you cause the world to turn?

We spend so much time complaining about the world around us, and yet, how are we changing it? To whom are we offering grace?

It isn't easy, and I know it isn't something I want to do, but even so - think of the person in your life to whom you do not want to offer grace? And then go offer it. And the world is about to turn.

Existemi

You can really tell when I'm reading a book, because I end up writing about it a lot on the blog - at least if its good, I do.  Adam Hamiilton's Not a Silent Night is a good one.

I'm still reading the chapter about Jesus in the temple.  As Jesus was listening and asking questions in the temple, and responding, those around him were amazed.  Hamilton says the Greek word used is "existemi."  It's the same word Mark uses when he describes the disciples response to Jesus walking on water.  It isn't just a "wow, isn't he great," kind of remark.  It's utter astonishment.  Awe, and maybe some fear.

We put angels on our trees and packages at Christmas, and we think they are beautiful, but that's not the response that those in the Bible had to angels -- they were always afraid.  Utterly astonished.

I don't mean that we should be afraid of God, but sometimes I think we've tamed God a little bit - or tamed our responses to God.  If we saw God, experienced God, believed in God, wouldn't our response sometimes be existemi?

Three Days in Grief

Still reading in Hamilton's Not a Silent Night book, and still thinking about the story of Mary and Joseph leaving Jesus in Jerusalem.  Hamilton brought forth for me a couple of ah-hah moments.

First, read this verse:  After three days they found him in the temple... (Luke 2:46a)

Did you ever notice that they search for Jesus in Jerusalem for THREE DAYS?  I don't ever remember paying attention to that before.  Imagine searching for your child for three days.  When my boys were small, if I turned around and they weren't where I expected them to be, even for a moment, my stomach dropped.  I can't imagine searching for three days.

According to Hamilton, the word Luke uses in verse 48 that is translated as "great anxiety" is the Greek word odunao. This word is used again in the book of Luke as part of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-30) to mean the torments of hell.  I think we can understand why Luke would use that word - why Mary might use that word to describe their state of mind during those three days.

Three days in terrible, wrenching grief.  Three days of not knowing where their child was - not knowing if he were dead or alive.  It won't be the last time Mary has this experience.

Into the Story

One of my best experiences of Bible Study has been my participation in a Disciple class.  I loved the in depth study of scripture and the commitment to read and work together to learn the message in the words.  Great experience.

One of the "take aways" from that class has been that we learned several tools to use to explore the depth of the Word.  One of them was to ask the question, "Which character in the story are you?"  In other words, can you place yourself in the story?

I thought of that this morning as I read from Hamilton's Not a Silent Night.  The chapter I'm reading is based on the story of Jesus in the Temple.  His parents leave town, and he isn't with them. Hamilton tells of a time that he and his wife accidentally left their 6 year old in a Disney Store at Disney World as they headed into the park.  The story ended well (thank goodness), but it gives him a special affinity to the story of Mary and Joseph rushing back to find Jesus.

How can you allow your experiences to pull you deeper into the story?  I wrote a day or two ago about the biases we bring to scripture.  It's true, so let's use them to move closer to God, all the time aware of what we are doing.

Outside and Inside

Adam Hamilton, in his book Not a Silent Night, quotes Alexander Solzhenistsyn:

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them.  But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.  And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

This is an interesting thought.  How much easier it would be if there were "good guys" and "bad guys."  You and I both know that is not the case.  Why do I sometimes act as if it is?  And I'm not the only one.

Do you read Facebook?  Do you see the posts people create that judge other people?  I have a friend who says he is judgmental of people who are judgmental.  Perhaps I'm doing that, but I see people blame Republicans, Democrats, Obama, Bush, Muslims, Christians, young people, old people - you name the group, and we will blame them for something.

We even blame God, with remarks like, "God needed another angel, so your child died."   Or "I know the cancer is bad, but it's all part of God's plan."

This is a rambling post, but my point is that sin is around us, but we sometimes downplay the idea that sin is inside us.  Maybe that realization would make us less judgmental?

The Darkness

I read a portion of Adam Hamilton's book, Not a Silent Night, this morning.  The book is written to lead the reader through looking at the life of Christ through the eyes of Mary.  The chapter I'm reading right now is about the crucifixion - what would have been Mary's thoughts?

What caught my eye today is the connection between Christmas and crucifixion.  Adam writes that the first ornament his family hangs on their Christmas tree is a replica of a Roman spike that would have been used in a crucifixion.  They hang it close to the trunk of the tree; they know it is there, although visitors wouldn't notice it.

I wonder how it changes his family's experience of Christmas to have a spike hanging in their tree? How would it change yours and mine to remember the sacrifice and love offered by Christ?  Could being reminded of the "end of the story" be a way to step back from the gift giving and santas for even just a moment?

Christmas is joy and beauty, lights in the darkness and love on the air.  We don't really want it tainted by the sorrow and grief of Good Friday, do we?

I make cards, and one of the tricks in the art of card making is to include the shadows in the coloring, and to use a fine line black pen to darken the outlines.  These tricks make the colors pop and bring the art to life, instead of leaving it one dimensional.  Could the same idea be applied in this case?  Does remembering the grief and sorrow make the joy that much more purposeful, make the lights that much more brighter?  And does it clear away the clutter of the holiday so that we can see the Christ?

Seeing Jesus

I just started reading Adam Hamilton's book, Not a Silent Night.  The premise of the book is to look at Jesus through Mary's (his mother's) eyes.
I started me thinking.  We all have a way we look at Jesus.  Do we ever wonder what Jesus looks like to someone else?

• To some, does he seem to be a myth?
• A fairy tale, with an ultimately happy ending?
• Do some see him as judgmental, as he counts sheep and goats?
• Is he a lawyer, defending or prosecuting us to God?
• Is he sweet, gentle and mild, not prone to times of anger?
• Or is it the Jesus of the temple, turning over stalls in anger that occupies some people's minds?
• Is Jesus meaningless?
• Mysterious?
• Mystical?
• Miraculous?
• Is he an ancient prophet to some, who has no bearing on our times?
• Is he absent?

How do other people see Jesus?  How do you see Jesus?  Is it time to share your witness with others? How has God changed your life?  Would someone else benefit from seeing Jesus through your eyes?