What Kind of Story is This?!?

 

As people of faith, we claim that the Spirit took on flesh, breath, and bone in Jesus Christ.  From the peculiar place of Jesus’ birth ~ I mean, a barn, really God?  That was not going to get God a ton of likes on social media…the shepherds posts were not exactly trending.  Jesus, then, drops off the radar of everyone.  Sure, he showed up at 12-years-old in the temple to hang out with the rabbis and amaze everyone with his theological dissertation on love, but then Jesus goes underground.  Like a one hit wonder or a novelist whose debut mystery is such a smashing success, she doesn’t write anything for years.  Eventually, Jesus goes down to the river to pray, he wades in the water, and is baptized by John in the river Jordan.  Immediately, he is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness.  At this point, you should be shaking and scratching your head thinking, “Um, this is not going to be a Hollywood blockbuster of a movie!”  But wait, this Jesus hangs out with those on the fringe and fray, he humanizes those on the sidelines regardless of wealth or religious belief or if they have perfect attendance pins from Sunday School.  This Jesus confronts the powers that be by staging a parade (street theater) at the time of the Passover when the narrative of God’s liberating love from Exodus is retold as a way through the wilderness today.  You are thinking, “Finally!  A plot line we recognize.  Go get ‘em Jesus.  You conquer and overthrow that evil Roman Empire.”  Only, he gets crucified.  Wait, you think, come again!?!  Suffering as part of faith is the storyline we share year-after- year.  I think of the great hymn, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

 

Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heav'n to earth come down,
fix in us Thy humble dwelling; all Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love Thou art;
visit us with Thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.

 

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit, let us find the promised rest.
Take away our love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

 

I love the invitation for the Spirit to enter the trouble within us.  But remember from Sunday that sometimes the Spirit isn’t one of gentleness, but a burning breeze that disrupts and interrupts everything ~ inside and out.  This Spirit which will rummage around our lives, tossing and turning over our faith furniture ~ some of which has been handed down from generation to generation ~ doesn’t the Spirit know that cedar chest was our grandmothers?  Where is your heart trembling today?  Where do we long for rest physically, emotionally, relationally, religiously, socially?  Are we willing to let God/Christ/Spirit have the first and last word in our lives?  What would that look like or sound like?  Hold this hymn that it might hum within you today as a soundtrack to your life each moment.  Amen.