The least of these...

Matthew 25:37-40

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Who are the least of these?

In your community,

whom would you consider

the least of these?

The ones we are to feed

and clothe

those who thirst,

those whom we are to see free

from all manner of bondage.

Those who are estranged from loved ones,

and crave our company.

The least of these

live in our community

hang out in our neighbourhoods

populate the places we frequent.

They do not wear convenient labels

so that they can be easily identified.

They do not present themselves

for our ministrations.

Identifying the least of these

means we have to get beyond

the faces we see

elicit the stories

behind the facades,

strike up conversations

and build relationships

with the least of these

in our communities.

And then we can set to work:

Feeding the hungry

Quenching thirst

Welcome the stranger

Clothe the naked

Visit the sick

Free the prisoner

Serve God in the least of these.

The image of God

Matthew 4:1-2

The Temptation of Jesus

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.

Still the tempter comes

on the days when we are hungry

Hungry for rest

Hungry for affirmation

On the days when we've lost sight

of the One in whose image we are created

Still the tempter comes

whispering lies

sowing doubt

stealing joy

obscuring the truth of our identity

as beloved children of God

in whom the divine spark of the Creator

was planted before birth.

Still the tempter comes

to push that truth away

and render us needy

setting us at odds with one another

out of touch with the wonder

that resides in our core

- that we are fearfully and wonderfully made

by the God whose image dwells in us

by the God whose love for us knows no bounds

by the God who invites us to claim our birthright

as beloved - created in the image of God.

Still the tempter comes...

On his way...

John 4:49-50

The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.

Believing 

Believing the word

Believing the word enough

to go on his way

in faith

expecting healing

Trusting

that Jesus would deliver

whatever he said.

How does such faith come?

From seeing?

From hearing?

From hoping?

From recognising

one whose words

are promises.

One whose actions

exceed expectations.

One who invites us to share

and, listening, inspires hope

and offers healing

as we go on our way.

Not for ourselves

John 4:27-30

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” They left the city and were on their way to him.

 Come...see a man..

They came and saw the Messiah

This woman

who came to the well in the noonday heat

to avoid her neighbours

was the same woman

who led her neighbours

to the Messiah.

Transformed 

by her encounter with Jesus

she recognised

that the gift she had been given

was not just for her

but for her community too.

Her transformation

was to transform

the life of her community.

The people

and the encounters

that we are given

are for the life of the world

beginning in us

to transform the world

Come...see a man...

Come...meet the Messiah.

Pushing boundaries

John 4:5-8

So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 

Jesus the rule breaker

asking a woman

a Samaritan woman

for a drink

Breaking a taboo.

The Samaritan woman

a rule breaker too

going to the well

in the heat of the day

avoiding others

yet encountering Jesus.

For encounter

true encounter

involves venturing beyond

stepping over those boundaries

real or imagined

stepping into

a mutual space in which

meeting begins.

What kind of fast?

Isaiah 58:6-7

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:

to break the chains of injustice,

get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

free the oppressed,

cancel debts.

What I'm interested in seeing you do is:

sharing your food with the hungry,

inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

being available to your own families.

Smudging our foreheads with ash

Fasting from whatever normally consumes us

- be it technology, food or drink

Focussing on our intentions

to give thanks

or to de-clutter

or to be more intentional in our living 

may be good reminders

of the season 

or of our intention to make space for God

in our all too busy lives...

But it's not enough 

It's not enough when there are beggars in our High Streets 

It's not enough when those who serve our country (any country)

are homeless 

or unemployed

It's not enough

when we turn our back

on those exiled

forced to flee from their homes

and their lands 

because of war

or persecution

or genocide.

It's not enough

when we'd rather funds arms

or oil

than clean water

or health care

or education.

Unless each grain of ash

symbolises our commitment

to embrace repentance

to seek forgiveness

and to work on restoration

of justice for all...

Unless each smudge 

signals our whole hearted desire

to embrace the other - 

Those in our midst

and those far off

Unless we are prepared

to wear our love

as visibly as the ash

by which we show our privilege

of birth,

Unless we feed the hungry

and clothe the naked

and shelter the homeless

and welcome the stranger

God is not served

and the kingdom is not built 

and our fasting is in vain.

May the ashes we don

be a symbol of intent

followed up by action

that ushers in

the reign of God.

Going forward...

Going forward... Is one of those corporate, business, motivational phrases of speech that has crept into all too common usage. It seems impossible to sit through a meeting or seminar without hearing this irritating phrase. Particularly when, often, what underlies the use of the phrase is the wish to ignore what has gone before, good and bad, and simply move on, perhaps without learning lessons that the past might teach us.

Lent begins this Wednesday. Visits to my blog always spike at this time with visitors to a post about Transfiguration which is the reading the Sunday before Lent. This increased traffic has reminded me that I've been neglecting this blog recently, mainly because I've been blogging elsewhere for work.

The season of Lent affords the opportunity for review and reflection. So, going forward, I'm hoping to get back to everyday blogging here as I reflect on the journey with God in daily life. I'm hoping to reclaim this space as a place where I can look back and forward as I see signs of God along the way. It would be good to have your company as I go...