As the minutes pass and the hours turn toward Valentine’s Day, flowers, cards, candies, and more are scooped up and distributed as gifts from one heart to another. So many thoughts and sentiments, varying degrees of affection and dedication expressed through things symbolizing love and care. What a great time to think about relationships, objects reflecting one’s dedication, and how, underneath it all, perhaps sometimes lost, is the Divine. After all, how else might one consider, or be reminded, that there’s more than me, myself, and I, and my concerns?
Broadening the scope, throughout the history of humankind, it would be fair to say that lasting relationships are built upon the ability to be present, a movement of the heart, and a sense of connection and trust. The capacity for each, placed in every being from inception and created to be held as well as extended—a full circle, inclusive kind of thing between and among the Creator and the created. Beautiful, and rightly so, when rightly exercised. However, when those elements disintegrate, for whatever reasons, relationships crack and crumble. And frequently it seems, sides are formed, heels are dug in, and maybe even enemies declared. What for? And, what’s the source of that?
Still though, despite any disturbances or folly along the way, there is always what is Divine. It is the place where faith resides, truth is revealed, and all is known. The place where H is for Hope in God, the One and Only, where love is what truly matters and is nurtured, and where everything else can be put aside, and laid to rest.
As the minutes pass and the hours turn toward Valentine’s Day, take time to remember and to be inspired by the hope and love of God, and the ways in which it is extended not only in and through you, but also to you. How can you nurture it, and be nurtured by it?
We are all meant to be mothers of God. What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes place unceasingly, but does not take place within myself? And, what good is it to me if Mary is full of grace if I am not also full of grace? What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture? This, then, is the fullness of time: When the Son of Man is begotten in us. – Meister Eckhart
Mind over matter, What difference does it make? The set of one’s mind, May toggle or break, Or yet even worse, Get stuck in one place.
Heart in the matter, What difference does it make? The set of one’s heart, When inspired by God, Finds purpose, builds faith, Sings praises, gives faith.
One cried out to the other: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with God’s glory!” – Isaiah 6:3
“The heart’s affections are divided like the branches of the cedar tree; if the tree loses one strong branch, it will suffer but it does not die. It will pour all its vitality into the next branch so that it will grow and fill the empty place.” – Khalil Gibran
The cedar trees of Lebanon are known for characteristics such as their strength, beauty, and fragrance. They are also named in various Bible passages. In Psalm 29, they are referred to amid verses that describe the voice of God. However, in these verses, they are not described in terms of their beauty, fragrance, or formidable strength, but rather in terms that focus on and describe the strength of God’s voice.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is power; the voice of the Lord is splendor. The voice of the Lord cracks the cedars; the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon… – Psalm 29:3-5
What’s striking here though, is that the nature of God’s voice, or God’s will, is much more than the power to crack and splinter the magnificent cedar tree. Not only does God break through and penetrate the tree, or whatever it may be, but as described in the verse that follows,
Makes Lebanon leap like a calf, and Sirion like a young bull. – Psalm 29:6
God opens and escorts the way to joy and newness (or fullness) of life, making it possible for something greater and more meaningful to come to the surface. And in this process, although there may be suffering, there is not death, for what is born of God is eternal.
In this new year, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, as God’s beloved, striving to listen to the voice of God in turbulent times, let us pray for the wisdom and strength to follow the example of Jesus, with a desire to be led by the grace of God, and to learn how to rise from the splinters of all that is broken.
When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. – Titus 3:4-7
“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” – Luke 1:45
As the minutes of daylight continue to decline and the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere approaches, life in December 2021 does not seem anywhere close to normal. However, it is at these times that opportunity abounds, if only we can meet the challenge of seeking the wisdom of balance and the choices of Light that reside between the stark contrast of opposites. And, while at times, it can seem bigger than life, and the odds improbable, looking to Mary, the Queen of Peace, one can trust it’s not impossible to experience the quiet strength of peace in troubling times.
Mary chooses to embrace the spirit of God, surrender her will and be led by God (Luke 1:26-38). Joseph, her betrothed, makes a similar choice (Matthew 1:18-24). In the eyes of the world, these choices can seem unimaginable. Why would anyone say yes to a choice that is bound to bring such harsh scrutiny, create gossip and skepticism, possible death in those times, and disgrace? Perhaps that’s why it’s never wise to judge a book by its cover. Only God can ever really know the truth of all that’s happening, and only God can ever truly influence choices that are genuinely for the greater good, even when others cannot understand them.
Mary’s “yes” and Joseph’s “yes” are certainly pivotal moments. What led them to being able to discern such choices? How did they know what to do? Sitting with their “yes’s,” the inspiration that can be drawn from them is tremendous, but it is also just the beginning.
In reflecting on what happened in those moments and in all the ones that followed, what is it like to imagine that even though the road did not get any easier, Mary and Joseph made it through not because of their own determination, but because God was with them, and they were led by the light of God?
“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures.” – J.R.R. Tolkien
The above quote seems so apropos for the world of today despite it being written many decades ago. Interesting how in every age there are things about which one can say, what’s old is new, and what’s new is old, or in other words some things are timeless.
Entering the 3rd week of Advent, the readings invite us to avail ourselves of God’s promise,
The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. – Zep 3:17-18a
To step over the darkness of our times,
God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. – Is 12:2
And into the ever-present joy and light of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:4-7
As we wait in hope for the coming of the Lord, in what ways does the wisdom of God’s word resonate? How is the Spirit of the Lord present in these moments of waiting? In what ways do they create inspiration? And where do they spark peace and love… joy and light?
The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people. – Luke 3:10-18
The Prophet Isaiah foretold of John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the desert, urging people to make themselves ready to receive the Lord. And while it is true that earthly life can be viewed as a process of preparing for eternal life, it is so much more than a checklist based upon human understanding. So, while it may be tempting to repeat the sounding joy by clinging to what one knows during the season of Advent, no preparation would be complete without moving beyond our own ideas about it and allowing ourselves some time to steep in the love of God more deeply, and then to be led by it.
The way of the Lord has already been prepared. Not just for the Lord, but also for all those who wish to claim and proclaim their inheritance as God’s people. We must remember that we’re not called to be like John the Baptist. We’re called to be like Jesus. How does, and how can, God help our individual ways to greater reflect the beauty and goodness of the Way? And are we willing to go there?
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” – Luke 3:1-6
Many years ago, before GPS, I was on my way to a meeting, when I encountered road construction and a detour from the route I was supposed to take. Following the detour signs, I began an unexpected adventure through long and winding back roads, farmland, and forestry. However, along the way, I lost my way.
Suddenly there were no signs, and I was in utterly unfamiliar territory. Initially, it was as if my surroundings were closing in on me and I was shrinking in comparison. I started to feel anxious and stressed about being late or potentially missing the meeting. Then, slowing down, I stopped and began to take more notice. Surveying the landscape and elements in the sky more intently, I was able to find new signs and my bearings were restored, leading me more peacefully to the place I needed to be. I ended up being a little late, but it was okay; as always “better late than never.”
In current day times, it can seem as if society is in a construction zone that is in disarray. So many detours, roads without signs, confusion, violence, and chaos swirling all around. Yet, among it all, continuing to seek, searching within, and then looking back out, there are always signs pointing to the promise and hope of a better way.
The readings for the First Sunday of Advent (Jer 33:14-16; Ps 25:1b,4-5,8-9,10,14; 1 Thes 3:12-4:2, Lk 21:25-28,34-36) are a call to remember the promise, open oneself to God, to pay attention, and place hope in God as the way to restoration and redemption. Take time to reflect on what promise and hope in God means to you.
Who is this God?
How and where is God welcomed into the landscape of your life?
What do you desire as you look to journey with God this Advent? What might God desire for you?
Show us, Lord, your mercy; grant us your salvation. – Psalm 85:8
In chapter 18 (verses 33-37) of the Gospel according to John, Pilate asks Jesus who he is and what has done, and Jesus’ answer, as always, is all about truth. And that’s what faith is really all about—Truth and learning not only to recognize it, but also to listen to, and be led by it. In the verses that follow this passage, Pilate knows the Truth—Jesus has done no wrong, but he does not choose to listen and allow himself to be led by it.
On the Feast of Christ the King, this passage presents a great opportunity for prayer and reflection on who we are and what we do as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both collectively and individually, as we approach the season of Advent and the Nativity of Christ our Lord, in what ways do the things we do and the presence of heart and mind with which we do them, reflect the goodness of God? And to what extent are they the result of truly listening and being led by Grace?
Amid one’s hopes and dreams and into the flow of reality, how do the choices of yesterday, infused with faith and the grace of God, inform and shape those of tomorrow?
So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” – John 18:33-37
It can be easy to envision the poor widow putting her coins into the treasury, knowing the value to be considered far less than others had contributed. One might even draw a picture that perhaps includes elements representing shame, grief, loss, loneliness, and so on, overcome by giving all she had (“her whole livelihood”) and Jesus celebrating her for that. Then, from that picture, one might possibly be drawn toward a singular conclusion about verses 41-44 of chapter 12 in the Gospel according to Mark as a call to examine one’s level of charity.
It’s interesting though to reflect further on this passage. There are no words attributed to the widow, and no mention of a personal encounter between her and Jesus. The passage starts with an observation by Jesus that turns into a teaching directly to his disciples, not the poor widow, or anyone else who was putting money into the treasury. It is about more than coins and goes beyond levels of giving, extending to something greater.
Going back to the beginning of the Poor Widow’s Contribution, in verse 41, it is written, “Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.” There are no interactions with those who are giving. Rather, Jesus takes in what is transpiring.
He sees the difference between the way the poor widow and the crowd, especially those with greater possessions (“Many rich people put in large sums.”), are carrying themselves. He then draws his disciples close, reveals what he sees, and tries to help them to see it as well. Jesus’s teaching, as always, is about showing the Way and helping those who follow him to become more aware, see more clearly, make better choices, and live more authentically.
Jesus wants the disciples, and us, to see that what the poor widow has given, she has given from “her whole livelihood”—her heart. This is the source of the widow’s might and is where our strength comes from as well. It is where the Lord resides.
I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. – Jeremiah 31:33
By giving the two coins, the widow is giving her heart to the Lord, not allowing herself to be defined by her possessions, the opinions of others, or worldly cares, but instead sacrificing and letting them go, and listening to the law within her—placing trust for her well-being, first and foremost, in the Lord.
How can we look past the coins, and do the same?
In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” – Mark 12:38-44
Henri Nouwen wrote, “Self-knowledge and self-love are the fruit of knowing and loving God. You can see better then what is intended by the great commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Laying our hearts totally open to God leads to a love of ourselves that enables us to give wholehearted love to our fellow human beings. In the seclusion of our hearts we learn to know the hidden presence of God; and with that spiritual knowledge we can lead a loving life.”
In other words, authentic love starts within, builds and grows through self-discovery and conscious connection to God. It is by this process that hearts are moved toward love in the way they exist and what they exude to the outside world.
In chapter 12 of the Gospel according to Mark, we see an example of interactions similar to those that are so prevalent these days. It is very clear that there are two sides with two very different objectives. What’s going on in the hearts and minds of each side? What’s the priority?
The chapter starts with Jesus telling the Parable of the Tenants—tenant farmers who refuse to pay the owner of the vineyard and beat and/or kill the people sent to collect the owner’s due. They even kill the vineyard owner’s son—they do not recognize him. Knowing that Jesus is calling them out in the telling of this parable, the Pharisees, scribes, and elders want to arrest him.
What makes them so quick to become so defensive? Did they stop to look inside and invite God into the process before labeling Jesus as the enemy and beginning to determine a course of action? What makes them so offended by Jesus’ words and actions?
As the chapter continues, Pharisees and Herodians, and then Sadducees are sent to question Jesus about taxes (should they pay Caesar or not? – verses 13-17) and about resurrection (how is the law of marriage applied for the widower of seven brothers and with no descendants? – verses 18-27). And Jesus’ nature continues to shine through as he continues to speak truth, conveying and citing the Word of God in his replies. He does not get rattled or fall for the attempts to manipulate him.
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (verse 17).
“When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled” (verses 25-27).
Despite knowing, not speculating, but actually knowing what they are trying to do, Jesus does not become defensive or aggressive, or try to avoid them and their questions—he has nothing to hide. He simply answers the questions truthfully, shedding light and putting focus on the real issue—the motives behind behavior. This leads to the question always worth asking, “In all honesty, who or what is being served, and how?” In this case, and in any day and age, lack of integrity and inability to recognize, and live in, truth is not of service to God, or anyone for that matter.
This brings us to the verses of chapter 12 referred to as “The Greatest Commandment”:
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions. – Mark 12:28-34
Loving God with all of one’s being followed by loving one’s neighbor as oneself is to be the object of one’s striving day in and day out. As any human being can attest, this can be challenging and sometimes a downright struggle, and when left to our own devices it’s impossible. However, when we look at chapter 12 of the Gospel according to Mark, we can see in Jesus’ example of facing adversity with peace, honesty, and integrity, how a close relationship with God broadens the horizon, opening hearts and minds to the true meaning of Scripture, influencing speech and action, and revealing truth to all who are willing to embrace and engage in it over everything else (ambitions, possessions, self-interest, etc.).
With Jesus, the invitation is always open, and it doesn’t matter what you bring to the table, so much as a desire for what is true, what you are willing to let go of in order to learn, and the spirit with which you carry it out into the world.
HopeThatFloats 
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