Saturday, May 19, 2012

Brian’s Reflection: Sunday, May 20, 2012





God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not
have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5 – the Epistle for the Last (7th) Sunday in
Eastertide, Year B, Revised Common Lectionary

[ The full texts of the Readings can be found at:

Daughter/Son. You, I, are that daughter, that son.

The Gospel, and Jesus, clearly wanted each of us to identify with the designation “Son/Daughter of God”. Phrases come to mind. “May they be one as You and I are one”. “We are heirs in Christ”. “You are Friends”. “You will do things even greater than I”. Christ is the Alter-ego of each and every human being. And no  -  we are not destined to follow the particulars of His “external” life. But we are, I think … in some essential and profound way … destined to follow the inner dynamics of His life. Every human being is so constructed. The Life of the Christ, and of most of the great faith teachers, is the universal Inner Path to Wholeness/Holiness. One does not have to be “religious”. One only has to be human, and a Seeker of the Path.

This last Sunday of Eastertide is a jumping-off point for Christians on a path we follow until next Advent Sunday … when we start over again. Easter told us that that “we shall not die, but live”. It set us on that path of Life … because that’s what it’s all about:  Living. I would say, Forget about the “where” of Living … past, present , future, eternity … it’s not about that. It’s just about Living as fully as we can in each moment given to us. The qualities and characteristics of Living are never different, in whatever dimension. To Live is to Live. That is the powerful message of Resurrection.

The Collect reminds us that that there is a “spirit” in the Universe empowering us on. I believe it is genetically embedded in every one of us. The “spirit” does not “come from without”. It is of the essence of  Us.

Acts, with the election of Matthias to replace Judas as an Apostle, reminds us that we can always count on guides, true guides, to lead us. Jesus promised that we would not be “left comfortless”. Life is such:  it is imbued with the power to Live. (I believe that, from experience!)

The Psalm (1) reinforces the reality that, if we follow the Path, we will find the way to Wholeness. The codeword is “God”.

Finally, the Gospel reading (John 17) reiterates the Oneness we have with the great Mystery and Fount of Life which vibrates at the core of every human being.

All authentic paths to Wholeness say:  Go There. Go within.

May worship tomorrow be Lifegiving.

Brian+

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