Redeemer Devotions for January 2, 2013

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Adventures... in Hope - Redeemer Devotions

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In preparation for the sermon last Sunday I read something that disturbed me and

made me much more away of the profound impact of seeing our God as love.



Someone quoted Rene Girard who noted that the first definition of the unconscious

is "Forgive them for they know not what they do." I looked at that for a while.

I wasn't so sure about calling that the first definition of the unconscious but

I sat with it and continued reading and thinking about the sermon. Trying to put

some more meaning behind the word 'salvation' so that it wasn't something that

had to do with what happens after death, I think Girard's statement hit me. Salvation

is about life. Salvation is about bringing to humankind the life that is meant to

be for all of us. It is the life that we have dropped in pursuit of other life -

life that is (as Luther notes) turned-in-on-self. That is life that is sin - broken.

Salvation is the power that breaks the cycle that keeps us spinning in our violence

and our hatred and our envy and our jealousy and our (continue forever with the

many sides of sin). From the cross - not as a piece of jewelry or a sign traced

on our body or a processional-like banner - we see the way of salvation. We do not

embrace the cross, we embrace the life that is up on the cross and the life that

God raises up from the cold, dark, grasp of death. Imagine this - all the power

of death and sin having to hear Jesus' last words. They were probably waiting for

him to say "Just wait, my Father will destroy you." And yet, the final line - the

final delivery is - a delivery. Father forgive them. Forgive them - forgive all

of humanity for 'they know not what they are doing.' All we can do at that point

is stutter. No power is left - save flat out forgiveness. Humanity is handed the

way of salvation - the way to transform life - the way to resurrect death and brokenness

- forgiveness.



O God of love and new life, we are too weak to carry out such a task. Empower us

again by your Spirit that we will see your salvation coming among us. Amen.

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