Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Ayin
My eyes long to see you salvation and the justice of your promise.
In the sixteenth strophe of Psalm 119 we hear a cry to see God’s kingdom now, a plea to see God’s Law of Love as promised.
God says: You need not fuss and worry that others do not try to forge the kingdom with you. You may even lose sleep and become despondent at the evil you see daily either close to you or in more distant places on the globe. I tell you that you need not fear. You need not judge. You need not burden yourself with thinking that you are responsible for all the troubles throughout all of time or throughout all places on the planet. What I ask you to do is quite simply this: Listen for my voice to guide you in whatever way you perceive me; respond to the call that I place in your heart; and remember that I have promised you the kingdom for which you pine. You are presently in my kingdom . . . although you may struggle to see it. When you are able to put down your black-and-white glasses that give you a dual vision of the world where everything is either yes or no, you will begin to see the beauty of my kingdom in which everything is either/and.
From the time that we are tiny we are given rules that plainly state consequences and our parents invoke these rules to keep us safe. There are ways to cross the street, ways to mingle with strangers, ways to handle fire and ice and all of these rules are meant to preserve us and keep us safe. As we mature we must continue to grow so that we might begin to see the world as God sees it, so that we might begin to experience time as God lives it. As we mature we must allow God to soften our hearts, unbend our stiff necks, and open our minds that are closed to possibility.
Jesus stands on the shore of the sea and sees his apostles in a small boat tossed on the storm swept waters. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them. “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were [completely] astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:48-52)
For a deeper awareness of how we might miss the message of the loaves, read Mark 6:34-44 and reflect on the times we also misunderstand . . . and insist that Christ enter our foundering boat.
Tomorrow, Pe.
For more on the Hebrew alphabet, visit: http://www.biblicalhebrew.com/alphabet.htm
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