Thursday June 6, 2013

Today’s text

Luke 7:12-15

Now when he was near the gate of the town there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her and said to her, 'Don't cry.' Then he went up and touched the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, 'Young man, I tell you: get up.' And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 

Reflection

I am here in this basement room, a safe place away to listen and hear, to see life with clarity and compassion, myself, too.

And doing this, I enter into the way of Jesus, the path of Spirit, a way of seeing life and death, struggle and joy and being moved to compassion for my life, the lives of others and the needs of the world.

This is the way of Jesus.

He comes to town with his friends and meets a parade of death on the way to the cemetery. He comes and sees, and seeing he is moved to stop the death march right there, moved with compassion to give life.

I hardly do this in this quiet room where gentle music plays. Or in my small way, is more happening that I imagine?

Sitting here, seeing myself and the hearts of others, I get ready for the day, preparing to walk the path of Spirit, the way of Jesus once more.

And even here I am seen and known by the One who sees us all and is moved with compassion on all that is in and around us that kills our souls and weighs us beneath burdens of sadness.

Don’t cry, he says to us. I see. I see and I love … you. I see, and I give you life and always will.

I see and tell you to get up and live in a world where I am and I love.

Once more, the Voice he is invites me to live and enter his way, to see and be moved, to see and act with care, knowing that I, too--we, too--are here to stop the parade of death and sadness, to give life and joy--no, to be life and to be joy.

But it all starts with the One who sees … each of us … and says, do not weep, do not fear. You are seen and known, never forgotten and always treasured.

So, get up … and live.

Pr. David L. Miller