3rd Michaelmas 2011, Every Action Sacred

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas

Revelation 12: 1-17

And a momentous image was unveiled in the world of spirit: a woman, clothed with the radiant power of the sun, the moon under her feet, her head adorned with the crown of the twelve stars of heaven. And she is with child and cries out in the labor and pain of giving birth.

And at the same time a second image was revealed in the heavens: a great fiery-red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. On its head it has seven crowns and its tail is sweeping a third of all the stars in heaven and dashing them onto the earth. And the dragon is standing before the woman about to give birth, so that when she bears the child he can eat it up. And she bore a child, a son ”who would shepherd all nations with a rod of iron.” And the woman’s child was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place that God keeps ready there, so that they can take care of her for days numbering one thousand two hundred sixty.

And a war flared up in the spirit world. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon fought in the midst of his own angels, but he was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Down came the dragon, the giant, the serpent, the evil one called both Satan and the devil, deceiver of all the world. Onto the earth he came hurtling down, and all his angels with him.

And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying:

Now can begin the working which proceeds from our God—

The power to heal the world,

The power to transform all being,

The power to draw everything into godly being.

Arisen is the spirit leadership of his Christ.

Overthrown is the accuser of our brothers,

He who accused them night and day before the countenance of God.

They have overcome him through the blood and the sacrificial power of the Lamb

And by the divine Word to which they bore witness.

They did not love their own lives too dearly, and they did not fear death.

Therefore, rejoice you heavens

And all who lodge therein!

But woe to the earth and the sea:

For the Adversary has come down to you,

And he seethes with measureless fury,

For he knows that his time is short.

And when the dragon recognized that he had been cast onto the earth, he began to persecute the woman who had borne the son. Then the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly into the desert to her appointed place, where she is to be nourished for a cycle of time, for cycles of time, and for half a cycle of time, far from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent opened his mouth and spewed out a river of water after the

woman so she would be swept off her feet by the river. But then the earth came to the woman’s assistance; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon spewed from his mouth. And the dragon burned with fury against the woman. He stormed away to make war on the rest of the woman’s seed, people who keep to the divine world aims and who are united with the destiny and witnessing of Jesus. As I saw this I was standing on the sandy shore of the sea.

3^rd Michaelmas

October 16, 2011

Revelation 12: 1-17

“Down came the dragon, the serpent, the evil one, called both Satan and the devil, the deceiver of all the world….”

This reading talks about the realities of spiritual beings, both the good ones, and the evil ones. There is the Archangel Michael, the protector and defender of the realm from which the Good issues. He drives the evil spiritual beings onto the earth. In effect he shepherds them by sending them where they apparently belong.

It must be part of the wise divine world order that they are here, because the divine angels do nothing haphazardly. It is both amazing and disconcerting to realize that evil beings belong on the earth. Apparently it is time for humans to begin to deal with them directly.

What the devil needs on earth is nourishment. He feeds on our humanity, especially those parts in us which are gestating, coming into being, the new, tender growing parts of ourselves. He shrinks us with fear, distorts us with hatred, weakens us with doubts, so that he can devour us.

Crivelli

Yet we are not without protection. We have been given the eagle wings of clear thought—the eyes of foresight and of reflection, with which to see through the Deceiver’s work. We can become aware of his approach, and ‘put on the armor’ of truth and trust. And the living earth herself lends us her protection and strength.

The poet asks:

  

What is it in that sweet voice inside 
That incites you to fear?

Now is the time for the world to know

That every thought and action is sacred.

….Now is the season to know

That everything you do

Is sacred. [1]

---

[1] Hafiz,  “Now is the Time”, in The Gift - versions of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky

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3rd Michaelmas 2012, Cosmic Soul

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas

Revelation 12: 1-17

And a momentous image was unveiled in the world of spirit: a woman, clothed with the radiant power of the sun, the moon under her feet, her head adorned with the crown of the twelve stars of heaven. And she is with child and cries out in the labor and pain of giving birth.

And at the same time a second image was revealed in the heavens: a great fiery-red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. On its head it has seven crowns and its tail is sweeping a third of all the stars in heaven and dashing them onto the earth. And the dragon is standing before the woman about to give birth, so that when she bears the child he can eat it up. And she bore a child, a son ”who would shepherd all nations with a rod of iron.” And the woman’s child was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place that God keeps ready there, so that they can take care of her for days numbering one thousand two hundred sixty.

And a war flared up in the spirit world. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon fought in the midst of his own angels, but he was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Down came the dragon, the giant, the serpent, the evil one called both Satan and the devil, deceiver of all the world. Onto the earth he came hurtling down, and all his angels with him.

And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying:

Now can begin the working which proceeds from our God—

The power to heal the world,

The power to transform all being,

The power to draw everything into godly being.

Arisen is the spirit leadership of his Christ.

Overthrown is the accuser of our brothers,

He who accused them night and day before the countenance of God.

They have overcome him through the blood and the sacrificial power of the Lamb

And by the divine Word to which they bore witness.

They did not love their own lives too dearly, and they did not fear death.

Therefore, rejoice you heavens

And all who lodge therein!

But woe to the earth and the sea:

For the Adversary has come down to you,

And he seethes with measureless fury,

For he knows that his time is short.

And when the dragon recognized that he had been cast onto the earth, he began to persecute the woman who had borne the son. Then the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly into the desert to her appointed place, where she is to be nourished for a cycle of time, for cycles of time, and for half a cycle of time, far from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent opened his mouth and spewed out a river of water after the

woman so she would be swept off her feet by the river. But then the earth came to the woman’s assistance; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon spewed from his mouth. And the dragon burned with fury against the woman. He stormed away to make war on the rest of the woman’s seed, people who keep to the divine world aims and who are united with the destiny and witnessing of Jesus. As I saw this I was standing on the sandy shore of the sea.

3^rd Michaelmas

October 14, 2012

Revelation 12: 1-17

We see the mighty image of the radiant Cosmic Woman, clothed in sun, moon, and stars, laboring to give birth. And we see the red, many- headed dragon, waiting to devour her child.

This Cosmic Woman is an image of the soul of a special cosmic community. She is the soul of a community formed of all communities that are laboring to give birth to the Christ. She is the soul of all assemblies of people that stream the sunlight and warmth of love and wisdom. She is the soul of groups of people that know how to master and properly use the creative, generative moon forces. She is the soul of those bodies of people star-crowned with the work of healing and ordering destinies.

The dragon, however, is her counter-image. It is the image of angry, greedy, consuming passion; it is the image of a pernicious, calculating intellect that monetizes everything and everyone; it is a force that introduces a ruinous chaos into destinies.

Our earthly Christian communities are made up of individuals whom, through their bearing, Christ can wrest from the dragon, from the 'death of matter’. Such individuals can belong not only to an earthly community, but also to the supersensible one, which is made up of all those who are aware of the healing power of Christ within themselves. And in community, this healing force of the Christ within is potentized beyond what any individual can manifest. Together we can resist the dragon. Together we can help heal and order destinies. Together, we can strengthen the soul of the Cosmic Woman who is giving birth to the Christ for all of humanity.

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3rd Michaelmas 2013, In Beauty

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas

Revelation 12: 1-17

And a momentous image was unveiled in the world of spirit: a woman, clothed with the radiant power of the sun, the moon under her feet, her head adorned with the crown of the twelve stars of heaven. And she is with child and cries out in the labor and pain of giving birth.

And at the same time a second image was revealed in the heavens: a great fiery-red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. On its head it has seven crowns and its tail is sweeping a third of all the stars in heaven and dashing them onto the earth. And the dragon is standing before the woman about to give birth, so that when she bears the child he can devour it. And she bore a child, a son ”who would shepherd all nations with a rod of iron.” And the woman’s child was caught up to God and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place that God keeps ready there, so that they can take care of her for days numbering one thousand two hundred sixty.

And a war flared up in the spirit world. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon fought in the midst of his own angels, but he was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Down came the dragon, the giant, the serpent, the evil one called both Satan and the devil, deceiver of all the world. Onto the earth he came hurtling down, and all his angels with him.

And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying:

Now can begin the working which proceeds from our God—

The power to heal the world,

The power to transform all being,

The power to draw everything into godly being.

Arisen is the spirit leadership of his Christ.

Overthrown is the accuser of our brothers,

He who accused them night and day before the countenance of God.

They have overcome him through the blood and the sacrificial power of the Lamb

And by the divine Word to which they bore witness.

They did not love their own lives too dearly, nor did they fear death.

Therefore, rejoice you heavens

And all who lodge therein!

But woe to the earth and the sea:

For the Adversary has come down to you,

And he seethes with measureless fury,

For he knows that his time is short.

And when the dragon recognized that he had been cast onto the earth, he began to persecute the woman who had borne the son. Then the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly into the desert to her appointed place, where she is to be nourished for a cycle of time, for cycles of time, and for half a cycle of time, far from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent opened his mouth and spewed out a river of water after the woman so she would be swept off her feet by the river. But then the earth came to the woman’s assistance; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon spewed from his mouth. And the dragon burned with fury against the woman. He stormed away to make war on the rest of the woman’s seed, people who keep to the divine world aims and who are united with the destiny and witnessing of Jesus. As I saw this I was standing on the sandy shore of the sea.

3^rd Michaelmas

October 13, 2013

Revelation 12:1-17

When we are under the stress of time pressure, some of us may fall apart; some of us may manage to focus intently and work quickly, and then afterward collapse. But for a few, in an emergency time expands and somehow slows down. They somehow know exactly what to do and do it encased in a bubble of calm.

The reading says: ‘The dragon seethes with measureless fury, for he knows that his time is short’. He is under time pressure. But his pressure is to do the most damage and destruction he can in his limited allotment of time. He also knows that by turning the stress and pressure on us, by infecting us with his fury, he can sooner or later create collapse.

The woman, the Soul of Humanity, is giving birth to the Divine Child. She is given a divine gift—the wings of the eagle. They enable her to get above the problem, above the dragon, and look down on it. And then time expands and slows down. She knows exactly what to do. She flies to a solitary place, an inner place, where she is encased in calm and nourished by the divine.

The dragon in his fury is heavy and earthbound. And even when he spews forth a flood of lies, of information, of requirements and misinformation, the earth itself is willing to assist in the rescue of humanity’s soul. The earth itself absorbs the flood of the dragon’s fury. The earth and nature do their best to help provide a physical space of calm nourishment.

What is it that keeps our individual souls from being persecuted and flooded? It is our own solitary place, the inner space into which we go with our eagle wings of compassionate thought, our place of spiritual nourishment, of prayer and meditation. But we must practice flying. The Native American poet Joy Harjo says:

To pray you open your whole self

To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon

…And know there is more

That you can't see, can't hear

….Like eagle that Sunday morning

Over Salt River.  Circles in blue sky

In wind, swept our hearts clean

With sacred wings.

We …know that we must take the utmost care

And kindness in all things.

Breathe in, knowing we are made of

All this, and breathe, knowing

We are truly blessed because we

Were born, and die soon, within a

True circle of motion,

Like eagle rounding out the morning

Inside us.

We pray that it will be done

In beauty.

        In beauty.[1]

www.christiancommunity.org

---

[1] Joy Harjo, “Eagle Poem”, in (How We Become Human: New and Selected Poems 1975-2001)

2nd Michaelmas 2007, The Door

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas
Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, 6:10-19

What it comes to in the end is this: grasp the power that streams to you in the experience of Christ in the soul and in the powerful regency of his pure spiritual strength.

Put on the power of God as one puts on full armor, so that you may stand against the well-aimed attacks of the adversary. For our struggle is not to fight against powers of flesh and blood, but against

spirit beings mighty in the stream of time,

Michael, Arild Rosenkrantz

against spirit beings powerful in the molding of earth substance,

against cosmic powers whose darkness rules the present time,

against spirits who carry evil into the realms of the spiritual world.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand your ground on the day when evil unfolds its greatest strength, and victoriously withstand it.

Stand firm, then, girded with the truth, like a warrior firmly girded. Connect yourself with all in the world as is justified in the spiritual world, and this connection with the spirit will protect you like a strong breastplate.

And may Peace stream through you, down to your feet, so that on your path you spread peace, as the message that comes from the realm of the angels.

In all your deeds have trust in God. This trust will be like a mighty shield; with it you can quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take into your thinking the certainty of Christ’s healing deed. It will protect your head like a helmet.

And the spirit, which has become living in you, you shall grasp as one grasps a sharp sword. The sword of the spirit is the working of the Word of God.

May this armor clothe you in all your prayers and supplications, so that in the right moment you raise yourself in prayer to the spirit, and at the same time practice wakefulness in inner loyalty.

Feel yourself united in prayer with all other bearers of the spirit—also with me, Paul, so that the power of the word will be given to me when I am to courageously bring the knowledge of that holy mystery which lives in the message of the gospel.

2^nd Michaelmas Sunday

October 7, 2007

Ephesians 6: 10-19

  

Sometimes someone knocks at our door. It is possible that we could open the door to find a stranger, perhaps threatening. Our prudent response would be to close the door.

Thoughts are beings who come to visit. For most of us, for most of the time, the door of our mind stands wide open to whatever visitor wants to enter. Harmless thoughts flit through the house of the mind like ghosts. However, more powerful destructive thought beings can find entry and actually take up residence. This is one of the ways the spiritual adversary forces attack us.

In this gospel reading, Paul advises us on how to arm ourselves against these adversarial attacks. “Take into your thinking the certainty of Christ’s healing deed. It will protect your head like a helmet.” Ephesians 6:17 He is suggesting

that we place Someone at the doorway of our thoughts, Someone who in fact called Himself the Door. Christ can help us regulate which thoughts are allowed entry. In the certainty of His ongoing deed of healing, we can begin to recognize and close the door of our soul on thought beings who are unhealthy, untruthful, or destructive. Conversely, this placing of Christ at the door helps us to actively invite into ourselves beings of truth, which in turn help us discern with our feelings what is just and right. Then, in Christ, through Christ, our deeds become God’s working on the earth, spreading peace.

In the words of Angelus Silesius:

The peace most highly prized, which keeps the soul delighted,

Is knowing itself to be close with God’s will united.[1]

---

[1] Angelus Silesius, The Cherubinic Wanderer, translated by Maria Shrady, p.97.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

2nd Michaelmas 2008, Light Without Deception

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, 6:10-19

What it comes to in the end is this: grasp the power that streams to you in the experience of Christ in the soul and in the powerful regency of his pure spiritual strength.

Put on the power of God as one puts on full armor, so that you may stand against the well-aimed attacks of the adversary. For our struggle is not to fight against powers of flesh and blood, but against

Michael, Roland Tiller

spirit beings mighty in the stream of time,

against spirit beings powerful in the molding of earth substance,

against cosmic powers whose darkness rules the present time,

against spirits who carry evil into the realms of the spiritual world.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand your ground on the day when evil unfolds its greatest strength, and victoriously withstand it.

Stand firm, then, girded with the truth, like a warrior firmly girded. Connect yourself with all in the world as is justified in the spiritual world, and this connection with the spirit will protect you like a strong breastplate.

And may Peace stream through you, down to your feet, so that on your path you spread peace, as the message that comes from the realm of the angels.

In all your deeds have trust in God. This trust will be like a mighty shield; with it you can quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take into your thinking the certainty of Christ’s healing deed. It will protect your head like a helmet.

And the spirit, which has become living in you, you shall grasp as one grasps a sharp sword. The sword of the spirit is the working of the Word of God.

May this armor clothe you in all your prayers and supplications, so that in the right moment you raise yourself in prayer to the spirit, and at the same time practice wakefulness in inner loyalty.

Feel yourself united in prayer with all other bearers of the spirit—also with me, Paul, so that the power of the word will be given to me when I am to courageously bring the knowledge of that holy mystery which lives in the message of the gospel.

2^nd Michaelmas Sunday

October 12, 2008

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 6:10 – 19

How timely the Gospel reading in this year! Our great spiritual enemies, spiritual beings who would shoot our souls full of fear and despair, are on the attack. Paul encourages us to fight a spiritual battle. It is not a battle of aggression, for it is not our task (it is not even possible) to destroy our eternal enemy. Rather we are to arm ourselves for our own souls’ self-defense, so that we can resist the fear and remain inwardly upright.

We shield ourselves from these attacks of fear by remaining in trust and truth. This truth we acquire by remaining in the current moment, the Now, which is ruled by the Christ. For the truth is that fear often causes us to project a false picture into the future, which, in a vicious cycle, then inspires more fear. The truth is that the future is constantly changing, moment by moment, day by day, based on what human beings do in those moments and days. We are all involved in the process of creating the future, day by day, moment by moment. Any fixed picture of the future, hammered hard by constant discussion and steeped in worry generated by fear, is premature.

“Do not worry about tomorrow,” says Christ, “for tomorrow can worry about itself. Each day has enough challenge of its own.” Matthew 6:34  We act, we trust, we pray, one day, one moment at a time.

We must not underestimate the power of the light-filled energy that is generated by our prayers and sacraments, even when only an apparent few participate on earth. Behind each one of us stand all those who have died, who still take an active interest in their loved ones on earth. Mingling with them are those about to be born into the world, with their ideals and hopes. And above them all stands the angelic world. Deeds of prayer and sacrament generate a healing light, a bright energy. Given into the hands of the angels, this energy can work as a positive force in world karma, helping shape the future.  Michael and his host of angels beckon us toward the courage and trust that arises in our awareness of this truth.

Roland Tiller

A second century mystic wrote:

If you would pray in truth, you will

suspect a deeper sense of curious confidence.

And a host of angels will walk beside you

Showing you the purpose of created things.

When the angel of the Lord arrives,

he scatters by his word alone

every force that acts against us,

and brings to our spirits that light

that shines without deception.[1]

---

[1] Evagrios of Pontos, (345 – 399) “Effusions on Prayer,” in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on the Endless Light,  Scott Cairns, p. 56

www.thechristiancommunity.org

2nd Michaelmas 2009, Keep Your Presence Aflame

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, 6:10-19

 What it comes to in the end is this: grasp the power that streams to you in the experience of Christ in the soul and in the powerful regency of his pure spiritual strength.

Put on the power of God as one puts on full armor, so that you may stand against the well-aimed attacks of the adversary. For our struggle is not to fight against powers of flesh and blood, but against

spirit beings mighty in the stream of time,

against spirit beings powerful in the molding of earth substance,

against cosmic powers whose darkness rules the present time,

against spirits who carry evil into the realms of the spiritual world.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand your ground on the day when evil unfolds its greatest strength, and victoriously withstand it.

Stand firm, then, girded with the truth, like a warrior firmly girded. Connect yourself with all in the world as is justified in the spiritual world, and this connection with the spirit will protect you like a strong breastplate.

And may Peace stream through you, down to your feet, so that on your path you spread peace, as the message that comes from the realm of the angels.

In all your deeds have trust in God. This trust will be like a mighty shield; with it you can quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take into your thinking the certainty of Christ’s healing deed. It will protect your head like a helmet.

And the spirit, which has become living in you, you shall grasp as one grasps a sharp sword. The sword of the spirit is the working of the Word of God.

May this armor clothe you in all your prayers and supplications, so that in the right moment you raise yourself in prayer to the spirit, and at the same time practice wakefulness in inner loyalty.

Feel yourself united in prayer with all other bearers of the spirit—also with me, Paul, so that the power of the word will be given to me when I am to courageously bring the knowledge of that holy mystery which lives in the message of the gospel.

2^nd Michaelmas

October 11, 2009

Ephesians 6: 10 -19

  

Sunscreen protects us from the sun’s burning rays. Umbrellas protect us from the rain, coats from the cold.

Today’s reading recommends that we clothe ourselves appropriately also for the spiritual atmosphere in which we find ourselves. Paul suggests that we clothe ourselves in the power of God. What is this power? It is the power of divine love. This love accompanies our awareness of a truth; the truth that we all have come from a world of spirit; that we have come wrapped in God’s unshakeable love and faith in us. We have been sent to earth to learn how to pass on this kind and quality of love to others.

Michael, Roland Tiller

Self-inflating hubris, self-defeating despair, and contempt for others are some of the well-aimed attacks of the spiritual adversaries, who mean to separate us from this divine power of love. Knowing that God loves us unconditionally, we stand in peace; we shield ourselves with the trust that, within everything that happens, even within adversities and tragedies, there is a seed kernel of the good, implanted in these events by divine love. This seed of the good is growing and evolving toward the future. And this evolving good is moving toward healing the rift between us human beings, and between humankind and the divine spiritual beings.

In the words of John O’Donohue:

Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon….

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.

May anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul….

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.[1]

---

[1] John O’Donohue, “For Presence”, in To Bless the Space Between Us, p. 42.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

2nd Michaelmas 2010, Puzzle Pieces

2^nd 3^rd or 4^th Michaelmas

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, 6:10-19

 What it comes to in the end is this: grasp the power that streams to you in the experience of Christ in the soul and in the powerful regency of his pure spiritual strength.

Put on the power of God as one puts on full armor, so that you may stand against the well-aimed attacks of the adversary. For our struggle is not to fight against powers of flesh and blood, but against

spirit beings mighty in the stream of time,

against spirit beings powerful in the molding of earth substance,

against cosmic powers whose darkness rules the present time,

against spirits who carry evil into the realms of the spiritual world.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand your ground on the day when evil unfolds its greatest strength, and victoriously withstand it.

Stand firm, then, girded with the truth, like a warrior firmly girded. Connect yourself with all in the world as is justified in the spiritual world, and this connection with the spirit will protect you like a strong breastplate.

And may Peace stream through you, down to your feet, so that on your path you spread peace, as the message that comes from the realm of the angels.

In all your deeds have trust in God. This trust will be like a mighty shield; with it you can quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take into your thinking the certainty of Christ’s healing deed. It will protect your head like a helmet.

And the spirit, which has become living in you, you shall grasp as one grasps a sharp sword. The sword of the spirit is the working of the Word of God.

May this armor clothe you in all your prayers and supplications, so that in the right moment you raise yourself in prayer to the spirit, and at the same time practice wakefulness in inner loyalty.

Feel yourself united in prayer with all other bearers of the spirit—also with me, Paul, so that the power of the word will be given to me when I am to courageously bring the knowledge of that holy mystery which lives in the message of the gospel.

2^nd Michaelmas

October 10, 2010

Ephesians 6: 10-19

An interesting, and challenging activity is solving picture puzzles with hundreds of pieces. Many pieces are similar, and yet each is unique. And each contributes to the larger picture. Imagine the frustration of a puzzle made of random and unrelated pieces.

Truth is like a picture puzzle made of many pieces. Some pieces are jagged, some smooth. Some pieces fit easily and obviously into the whole picture. Others are mysterious—it is difficult to figure out where they fit in. We may have to set them aside for a while until we figure out where they belong. But we can trust that they have a place in the larger picture, the picture of the truth that we are building.  We know that if we are patient and persevere, we will find where they fit. It is often just these mystery pieces that create the sense of the final picture falling into place.

The adversaries are trying to create their own picture of the universe, out of pieces of despair, of loss, of meaninglessness. They may throw pieces at us that are dark, that don’t seem to fit. But we can trust that there is a bigger, truer picture. Perhaps those dark pieces do indeed have a place somewhere, in some corner. Or perhaps we need to turn the piece over. Trusting in the truth of the bigger picture is our armor against meaninglessness. For there is always a bigger picture.

The key pieces, the mysterious pieces in the great puzzle of life, are held by Christ. When we find the place for His pieces in the picture of our lives, the meaning of things begins to appear. We begin to find the relative places for the darker pieces of the puzzle. We find the places for suffering and death, because the bigger picture is framed in resurrection. Because of Christ, some pieces can be turned right side up. What seemed meaningless and unrelated is integrated into the larger whole. The bigger picture is a revelation. It is a picture of how space is ordered; it is a picture of what direction the evolving stream of time is flowing. For, as we heard at Easter—Christ is risen to us as the meaning of the earth.

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