Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The long strange journey of Lent is almost over –

The long strange journey of Lent is almost over –
but its destination is not of this world.
It lies beyond time, in eternity.

We do not know much about life in eternity.
What clues we have come, mostly, from Jesus –
from his own stories of the kingdom of
God to come on earth as it is in heaven, and
from the accounts in the New Testament,
of experiences of his presence after
his resurrection. What we glimpse of
the resurrected life we will come to
know through him –
But only surely in his own presence.
Until that encounter becomes real to us,
we live in the shadow of not knowing.

Peace be with you, he says to the disciples, as he
becomes present among them,
in the upper room where they
have gathered again after his death.

Peace be with you, he says to them,
as they absorb the living presence of
the one before them – there he is
among them: the resurrection
is real.

                                    Hello boys!
Got anything to eat? he greets them,
on another occasion. They seem to have
come to an end of their own resources
when he shows up, cooking breakfast
for them, there on the beach.
                                    Come to me. Come and eat.

Perhaps that is a clue to the mystery
What we hear is an invitation
what we see is a meal –
the Lord sets the Table,
the Lord invites us to eat
as in heaven
may it be on earth.
                                    Amen.

No comments: