Word Made Flesh

 In this last of the Pentecost series about Words and Story, I come to the beautiful words at the beginning of the Gospel of John. The Word was made flesh and lived among us.

The way we can work to build the Beloved Community, which is the Kingdom of God, is in and through the Love of God made Incarnate in Jesus Christ. The full expression of God’s love, seeking the lost and bringing all back into the fold, is in the Story of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of the carpenter from Nazareth 2000 years ago. God’s all-consuming Love was seen in that one Man. We make that Love incarnate daily in our Words and Actions.

Where do we start?

We can start by thanking God for God’s Love, and then thanking God for our similarities and differences. We can learn, as James Blay said in the D365 devotional on June 11, “Gratitude is a part of the story of God’s kingdom. Because God is good to us, we should always find ways to show how grateful we are for the goodness of God. Part of our expressions of gratitude goes beyond just saying thanks. We need to show gratitude for God’s goodness and grace in the way we treat one another. We cannot be grateful to God while at the same time being mean and hateful to others.”

Blay goes on to say, “Give thanks to God because God is good; show thanks to God by being good to others, especially those who are different from you. When we speak and act out our gratitude, the story of the kingdom of God becomes good news to all who hear and experience it. Think about ways you can speak and act out gratitude as you go about your day, then do it.”  

I need to remember that my Words come from my personal Story, which isn’t the same as anyone else’s. Their Story is just as valid and they may give me new insights to consider. I must remember that my words have the power to harm or to heal, to sooth or to sear. It is too easy to want to have the final word and prove we are right, better, wiser…than to pause and listen to what someone else is really saying from their hear. This image is a reminder of the importance of and danger in how we use our Words.

Personally, I process things via the written word. As I noted at the beginning, this series has been as much a seeking of clarity for me, as of interest to my readers. I find that I can sometimes get more deeply into someone’s story by telling that story. So, for the next few weeks, I’ll be offering imagined vignettes of men, women, and children who were affected, and/or are still affected, by the actions (or inaction) of us and our ancestors be they white or POC.

I end this series with a Franciscan Benediction:

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tear
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen-So be it Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer-Amen