Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Today’s reading

1 John 2:1-2

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the world” (1 John 2:1-2).

Prayer

For the sins of the world? Is anything big enough to cover this? Is there a heart sufficient to hold them all?

“My heart,” I hear you say. “I hold it all in my immensity, enveloping the sorrowful rebellion of billions in a cloud of belovedness. All that happens … happens in me. I hold it all. I cover it all. I love it all. I heal it all. Bring it all, all that you are, all that has been. It is all in me anyway.”

Blessed Jesus, in your flesh you reveal the truth of every age and life, the dark and holy mystery human eyes cannot penetrate. In your body, we see: the Blessed One unites every corruption of creation with infinite love and constant compassion, holding, bearing and engulfing all that contradicts the loving intention of the divine heart.

Holy Mystery, you take all that is into the inestimable vastness of your heart. It is your desire that nothing should suffer separateness from your boundless joy. For this is your joy, to unite our failed humanity with your love, absorbing bitter human pain and sin into the healing dance of love that is your triune life.

The expansive wonder of your heart holds all that is--and me. May this truth be my vision. Amen.

--Pastor David L. Miller