This week: God as fear and great joy. If you have any comments - adebelak@redeemerluth.com . God as fear and great joy is how God shines through the two women who found the tomb empty and were the first - get that - first witnesses to the Resurrection and the Resurrected Jesus. Fear here is not a 'run-away-and-hide fear' that is cause by the threatening powers of the world. This is an experience of awe - the experience of that which has never been - that which will mean the complete rebuilding of the future. God as fear and great joy takes whatever has been the shape of the world and the days of our lives and makes everything new - outlandishly new - resurrection new. God as fear and great joy is the power that can send any one of us off along the ways of our lives ready to witness to life in the places we thought death ruled. No more do we run as ones who fear death. Empty-tomb fear is the head shaking fear that comes when a door - long closed - has been open, knocked off the hinges. I think of the look on our cats' faces when the garage door is wide open - they look like they are ready to come out - but they have never really been there before that moment. Out beyond the doors of death is life that can take us all back. but the next thing that we experience is great joy. O God of love and new life, you open the door and you bid us to step off into the life of your making - a peaceable Reign - a bathing in grace. Amen. |
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