Acts 1:8-9
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
I’ve never been a fan of those Ascension pics
of Jesus with flowing white robes
and immaculate feet
disappearing out of the top of the frame
into a billow of fluffy clouds
while people stand around, mouths gaping
confounded by another twist in the tale
of God with skin on.
Post resurrection, I imagine those feet
with stigmata from the brutality of crucifixion
There may have been dew from the garden
where he met Mary while it was still dark
Or sand from the beach
where he hung out and cooked for his friends
And I don't imagine an upward trajectory
More of a vaporisation
like a pixellating image
indicating a changed state
Because that’s what Ascension is about
Transformation
An invitation to connect
in a whole different way
with the risen, ascended Jesus
a way to know God
not in clouds
but in the ground of everyday
Be right back -
both the threat and the promise
of Ascension
