Tag: Jesus

Kingdoms and Treasures > Jesus
Blog
April 22, 20200

Peace Be With You

It rests within him as he lies upon the boat, curled up among the ropes and nets. The ship’s mast cries out a like a hundred whips lashing the sky. Deep rest soothes his soul and permeates his being. No storm, no circumstance alters his path. He lives from the core of his being. This is the place in him that lives in us. Frantic voices cry out, “The storm! We are all going to die!” The presence of peace muffles out the furor of the rising tempest. It is a peace obtained through gentle surrender. Each day, not his own but given up to the will of his Father. He knows his path lies in the shadow of giant footprints. Will you follow him? 

This morning, as I practiced an Ignatian exercise, I meditated on the phrase, “I rest in your peace.”[1] My brain transported me to an ancient ship fighting the mighty gales of an unpredictable storm. I was curled up next to Jesus resting in his presence. It was as if we were sleeping within a bubble of light protecting us from the storm. It was bliss. 

Shortly after my time with Jesus I was reading the latest news about the COVID-19 epidemic. Anxiety swelled up within me. Like the disciples, I wondered when God would do something to calm the raging seas. It is human nature to fear death. We were created for life.

“The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give us abundant life.”

John 10:10 par

Human instinct will always lead us to survival. This makes the idea of dying to one’s self challenging to understand.

Dallas Willard writes in Renovation of the Heart, “This total yielding of every part of our body to God, until the very tissues and muscles that make it up are inclined toward God and godliness and are vitalized in action by the powers of heaven, breaks all conformity with worldly life in this age and transforms us into conformity with the age to come, by completing the renewal of our minds- our powers of thought and imaginations and judgment deeply rooted in our bodies.”[2] Our human inclination around the current pandemic is to panic, express anger, confusion, hopelessness, and a myriad of other emotions. It is only by the renewing of our minds and daily surrender that we can make the pilgrimage towards abundant life. 

“To be a pilgrim is to let ourselves be led by the Lord. Pilgrims are people on a way.”[3] This way leads us towards peace. There are many obstacles all of us will face as we journey towards the heart of God. Blocked by losses, sickness, poverty, and hopelessness, the way is no longer clear. Serenity becomes a poetic word that does not translate to real life. How can you find peace in a time like this? Gary Moon says, “Our only hope is to have Jesus on our insides, alive, powerful, loving and acting through our mouths and limbs.”[4] This happens through discipleship, surrender, and prayer. 

In Philippians 4:4-9 Paul exhorts us to: 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (ESV).

Philippians 4:4-9 Paul exhorts

This is a rich passage full of many treasures. It gives us a road map for peace. When I think about the internal pilgrimage I am trekking; I can notice what triggers moments of peace vs. moments of anxiety or sadness. I know Jesus is calling me to be thankful daily, to engage in regular worship, to seek opportunities to love others, and to rest in his presence. I am also being called to put down negative news articles, the desire to debate with others, or to retreat from the present moment. Life is difficult right now. For many of us, the oceans are roaring high above our tiny vessels. 

We were wired for peace, but sometimes self-preservation intervenes. I wonder about the statement, “God is in control.” While he could take control over me, that is not how he rolls. By his mercy, we are given a choice. We can live this life by the power we possess. We can also trade in our power for the power of God. Who doesn’t want that type of upgrade? In Life Without Lack, Willard says, “…we were made to run on God.” [5] What an encouraging thought. Through trust and surrender, peace may be possible. I pray that today you will be blessed with God’s peace. 

[1] Michael Hansen, My First Spiritual Exercises: Four Guided Retreats (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press).

[2] Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress), 170.

[3] David Fleming, SJ, What is Ignatian Spirituality? (Chicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2008), 34. 

[4] Gary Moon, Apprenticeship with Jesus: Learning to Live Like the Master (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books),131.

[5] Dallas Willard, Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23 (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books),134.

Blog
April 9, 20200

The Way of Jesus

The beating of my heart drowns out my anxious thoughts. I remember a day last August when I asked Jesus to replace my heart with his. “Can I have your heart in exchange for mine?” was his gentle reply. In humility, I agreed. His heart is a treasure that fills my soul and with this exchange, it reminded me that I am treasured by him.

Movement is emerging out of the rhythmic strokes of his heart. I am trying to learn the steps to our dance. Desire is calling me to surrender, so Jesus can lead. Letting go of the things that hinder my ability to keep in step, is a challenge. But there is a fire growing within that compels me towards his love.

Many of us feel the weight of extra baggage right now. Threats have abounded during the COVID-19 crisis. Human instinct tells us to take more, just in case.  Anger and fear have grown like unruly ivy around generosity and gratitude. It sucks the air right out of our lungs. So many are tired and losing hope. 

As a pilgrim in training, I wonder about the things each of us needs to let go of to lighten our loads. What am I carrying that is bruising my shoulders while I trudge uphill? I have talked with a lot of different people in the past few weeks and a common burden we carry is control. There is so much we don’t have control of. We are trying to exert our power over emotions, thoughts, schedules, people, health, and a host of other things. This is exhausting work.

When I was training for the Camino, I filled up my backpack to the recommended limit. By the end of a twelve-mile walk, my shoulders ached and my bones felt bruised. A couple of days later I removed four pounds from my pack, and I hiked another 12 miles. This time without pain. The things I took out were not necessities, they were comforts. A pillow, a solar phone charger, a book, pajamas, and a few other random things. 

Today I challenged myself to let go of getting my way. I am asking myself if I can create a practice of simplicity during an exceedingly complicated space in time. Emerging out of these questions is a desire to live well. To thrive in the present moment. A spiritual guide encouraged me to find a question to ponder during my trek on the Camino. Now I ask myself, “what is the way of Jesus in my life?” 

For the moment I am abandoning my trip to Spain, but I will not abandon this question. In the movie Four Feathers, Heath Ledger’s character, Harry asks his new friend Abue, “Why are you helping me?” Abu answers, “Because God has put you in my way.” Abue lived in the desert. Each day was likely spent attending to basic human needs. When it was time for Abue and Harry to part ways, Harry asks Abue, “What will you do now?” Abue replies, “Whatever God has chosen for me.” So simple. So hard. Or perhaps, easy.

What is the way of Jesus in my life today? We must add today because tomorrow is a luxury, or perhaps a burden we cannot afford to carry. There is simplicity when we focus on this moment. I can find hope for today. 

There is a person in your path today that maybe there tomorrow, but there are others that won’t be. When you lock eyes with a stranger on a walk or at the grocery store, what is the way of Jesus at that moment? Those people are neighbors. Sometimes all I can do is offer a smile and a silent prayer. Part of finding the way of Jesus is to attune to his heart. Relinquishing our fears of not having enough and attending to the humanity that lives all around us. 

For some of you, the only humans physically in your path are in your home. What does the way of Jesus look like surrounded by a bunch of stir-crazy kids and grown-ups? What does it look like when you are the only human in your physical path? Or perhaps it is just you and a spouse or a roommate. Thankfully, there is no one answer. Every one of you is living a unique life on an exceptional path. Jesus’ heart has a different rhythm in your soul than he does in others. I imagine our dance as a slow waltz. You may see your dance with him as a tango, a swing dance, hip-hop, or salsa. Dropping the weight of unnecessary things helps us to move in step with Jesus. 

In Luke 10:38-42, Martha is frustrated that her sister Mary is not helping. She tells Jesus about it and he replies by saying, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NLT) We worry about so many things. Holding on to anxiety is akin to putting large rocks in your backpack. I like to look at rocks when I hike, but unless it is small and beautiful, I do not enjoy carrying rocks while I hike. It is important to recognize our anxieties, but after you have paid attention to that rock, the next step is to keep moving on your path, setting down anything that is unnecessary.

It is Holy Week. This is the week Christians remember that Jesus was arrested, beaten, tried, and crucified. This is the week we recall that the way of Jesus led him to death on a cross so we could all have life. This is the week we celebrate the miracle of resurrection and the hope of a new life. Jesus is alive. He has risen! The way of Jesus calls us to die so we may live. We relinquish our personal kingdoms and exchange them for the power of God’s Kingdom. In this, we rise with him. 

The richness of life is bubbling up in me as I compose these words. I love to write. Putting words to paper is a part of God’s way in my story. To create space for writing I surrender time relaxing, reading, watching movies, serving, and even time with friends and family. Those are not bad things. God calls me into all of those moments frequently, but I cannot carry all of them at one time. At this precise moment, I write. Soon I will grade papers and provide therapy to others. After that? “Whatever God has chosen for me.” What would God have for you?