Yes, But…

•March 16, 2013 • Leave a Comment

As I was writing yesterday about God keeping all safe, I was thinking,

Yes, but

what about those whose safety is compromised by the actions of others.  God may keep us safe, but sometimes others crash those walls down.  What about that.

Sometimes it seems so easy to say, “Don’t worry, God will look after you”, so trite and simplistic.  Yet in truth, God is always there trying to wrap his arms around everyone.  But some people won’t be held, and in their rebellion, their escaping, they cause harm to others.

So that was why it was timely to be reminded by Stephen Cottrell that most of the paintings in this series were painted during the first few years of the Second World War (p83).  So Spencer was not painting in a Utopian vacuum.  He was fully aware of the atrocities life can throw up.  He had known for himself The Wilderness.

Yet this picture is painted later, in 1954.  It could be seen as a “there, there”, as a parent puts its arms around a child after it has been hurt.  Letting it know that they are there and it’s ok.

US_Navy_100116-N-2953W-385_A_Haitian_mother_comforts_her_child_at_the_Killick_Haitian_Coast_Guard_Base_clinic_as_a_member_of_the_U.N._security_team_stands_watch

Spencer has been through the war, been through his personal wilderness, and his response is this painting.  Highlighting God’s care, love and shelter.

Indeed Jesus himself says these words,

Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn’t let me. (Matthew 23:37)

knowing full well what is to come, what is about to happen to him.  God’s love and care are not outside of pain or unaware of its existence.  It comes from right within all that life can throw – hatred, mistreatment, rejection… Jesus knew it all and knew God’s care and support.

To me, that is the true value of all Jesus has to say.  He is not pontificating from on high, but has been involved in the real mess of the world, and his word comes from that experience and knowledge.  Jesus’ words are not empty platitudes, but comfort born out of shared experience.

And that makes all the difference.

 

These thoughts are reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s painting The Hen (seen here).

This year for Lent, I am reading Christ in the Wilderness by Bishop Stephen Cottrell, published by SPCK, reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s paintings of that title.

I’m not necessarily going to blog every day on it, just when something leaps out at me – and they will be thoughts rather than full blog posts

Posted in bible, faith, God, Jesus, lent, Religion, theology
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Holding it Together

•March 15, 2013 • 2 Comments

Stephen Cottrell points us to a further scripture:

God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. (Colossians 1:17)

Whatever happens, there is always someone who has to hold things together, someone who sees the whole picture.  Others may do plenty to help, but it needs that one person encircling it all.  Here that is quite clearly shown to be Jesus.

However much I think I’m doing in my life, however much I think I am doing in the world, I play just a part – God is the one holding it all together.

Cottrell reminds us that,

The Christian faith is a promise of restoration: a time when all the scattered fragments of our lives are gathered into a place of safety and refuge (p82)

He also goes on to point out that this is also a present reality.  God in Jesus cares for us and protects us, watches out for us and longs to gather us, as the hen gathers her chicks.

Am I going to let God wrap his arms around me, hold me safely and allow him to hold everything together?

These thoughts are reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s painting The Hen (seen here).

This year for Lent, I am reading Christ in the Wilderness by Bishop Stephen Cottrell, published by SPCK, reflecting on Stanley Spencer’s paintings of that title.

I’m not necessarily going to blog every day on it, just when something leaps out at me – and they will be thoughts rather than full blog posts

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Jesus, lent, Religion
Tags: , , , , ,

Extravagance

•March 14, 2013 • 1 Comment

Do you have something that you’re keeping for a special occasion?  Waiting for just the right moment to use something so precious.

John 12:1-8

At Bethany

12 Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. 2 A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.

3 Mary took a very expensive bottle of perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet. She wiped them with her hair, and the sweet smell of the perfume filled the house.

4 A disciple named Judas Iscariotwas there. He was the one who was going to betray Jesus, and he asked, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 6 Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone! She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me.”

This is a story of ridiculous extravagance.  Of being so caught up in the occasion, the response comes solely from the heart.  What a fabulous way to respond to Jesus.  Mary is fully aware of what Jesus has done for her and will do for everyone.  She doesn’t care about the cost, she has to show Jesus how much he means to her.

It was customary for guests to be anointed with oil at well-to-do dinner parties as a mark of respect – what Mary does for Jesus this night goes beyond respect.  She is caught up in the moment of worship of Jesus, and nothing else matters – not cost, not personal embarrassment – just adoration of her Lord and Master.  What passion – what love!   It is acknowledgement of all that Jesus is and all that he means to Mary.  She by her actions embodies kingdom principles.  She does what Jesus did in turning water into wine – much more than is needed and much better than is needed.

It would however have been totally shocking for a woman to loosen her hair and wipe Jesus feet with it.  Such was the depth of her feeling for Jesus that this was what she wanted to do.  She let her hair down and let her true feelings out.  Nothing, no-one was going to hold back such an extravagant expression of what Jesus meant to her –it was there for all to see.

Her passion for Jesus was not to be kept in check, it was not to be watered down so that it didn’t upset anyone, she allowed it to run free, and Jesus was blessed by it.

Remember, Mary was the one who sat at Jesus feet, while it appeared Martha did all the work – now Mary is doing something and it is worth sitting up and taking notice.

This is six days before Jesus’ death…  What Mary did pointed to his death.  There would be no opportunity for him to be anointed after his death, she does that now – beautifully, extravagantly, in a great offering of love…

Mary’s response can be contrasted with that of Judas – cold, calculating and missing the point.

How do I respond to all God has done for me?  If  Jesus were here with me now, what offering would I make to him?  Or would I be counting the cost?

 

Lord you have never held back in what you have given me,

may I give to you with such extravagance.

I give you everything I have,

the precious things,

the things I’ve been keeping.

Help me not to count the cost.

 

Posted in bible, faith, God, Jesus, Lectionary, lent, love, Religion, theology
Tags: , , , , ,

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »