Today’s Readings: Psalm 83; Amos 2:1-16; John 11:17-29; 2 Peter 2:1-10a; Psalm 116
There are some folks whose spiritual lives are driven by their focus on the afterlife. The thought of having something to look forward to after a life filled with pain and sorrow can indeed be a comforting thought. My approach toward my spiritual life has been much different than this. The focus of my spiritual life has not been on the afterlife – it’s been on the here and now. And why is that? It’s because I’m a strong believer that when you enter into a transformative relationship with God you don’t have to wait to start reaping the benefits: you can experience those benefits (i.e. peace, love, joy and the fruits of the Spirit) right now. I say all of this because it explains why a piece of today’s Gospel reading from John resonated with me so strongly. In speaking to the Mary and Martha following the death of their brother Lazarus, we are told that Jesus said: “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life” (John 11:25 from The Message). Time after time I’ve seen first hand evidence of the “Resurrection and Life” in the here and now. I’ve seen, for instance, people whose lives had once been dominated by alcohol be resurrected and come to life once they quit drinking; I’ve seen co-dependent people whose lives had been driven and defined by others be resurrected and come to life once they developed a healthy set of boundaries in their life; I’ve seen people who were facing physical and mental health issues whose lives could have easily been defined by their disease be resurrected and develop a sense of hope and vitality that transcended any diagnosis they had been given. Today, I would ask you: “Are there evidences of the Resurrection and Life in your life today?” As you find those pieces of evidence, I would invite you to take a moment and thank God for all the ways God has brought a taste of new life into your life. Right here! Right now! Til next time…
There are some folks whose spiritual lives are driven by their focus on the afterlife. The thought of having something to look forward to after a life filled with pain and sorrow can indeed be a comforting thought. My approach toward my spiritual life has been much different than this. The focus of my spiritual life has not been on the afterlife – it’s been on the here and now. And why is that? It’s because I’m a strong believer that when you enter into a transformative relationship with God you don’t have to wait to start reaping the benefits: you can experience those benefits (i.e. peace, love, joy and the fruits of the Spirit) right now. I say all of this because it explains why a piece of today’s Gospel reading from John resonated with me so strongly. In speaking to the Mary and Martha following the death of their brother Lazarus, we are told that Jesus said: “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life” (John 11:25 from The Message). Time after time I’ve seen first hand evidence of the “Resurrection and Life” in the here and now. I’ve seen, for instance, people whose lives had once been dominated by alcohol be resurrected and come to life once they quit drinking; I’ve seen co-dependent people whose lives had been driven and defined by others be resurrected and come to life once they developed a healthy set of boundaries in their life; I’ve seen people who were facing physical and mental health issues whose lives could have easily been defined by their disease be resurrected and develop a sense of hope and vitality that transcended any diagnosis they had been given. Today, I would ask you: “Are there evidences of the Resurrection and Life in your life today?” As you find those pieces of evidence, I would invite you to take a moment and thank God for all the ways God has brought a taste of new life into your life. Right here! Right now! Til next time…
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