Proverbs 9:13

Woman Folly is boisterous; she is simpleminded but does not even know it.

To be ignorant of your ignorance.

What a horrible state to be in.

How do you know you’re there?

Many times we don’t know of our ignorance because of the chaotic call of Folly that drowns out the voice of Wisdom.  And we are always talking ourselves, unable to hear, always staying near the surface, not even aware of the greater depth that is underneath everything we experience.  This ocean of Life is far from shallow, yet we may remain at the surface for its duration, never experiencing the awe-inspiring grandeur of what lies beneath.

Folly is boisterous.

Jesus is calm.  Still.

It is in the quiet, calm stillness of our soul where we  find what matters most.

Pay attention to what you’re thinking.

Pay attention to what you’re feeling.

Pay attention to what you’re paying attention to.

Pay attention to what Jesus Wisdom is saying to you right now.

And also now.

And now….

Mark 12:18-27

Resurrection.

Jesus clearly affirmed the resurrection of the dead.  And He was the first-fruits of this resurrection in which we will partake.  Early Christianity taught that there will be a bodily resurrection of the dead.  This was the emphasis for quite some time, yet later took somewhat of a backseat to the crucifixion with its passionate meaning and call to devotion.

Have we Christians lost a little hope over the centuries due to this change of emphasis?  Are we morbidly focused more than hopefully focused?

Remembering where we come from is vital, but it should not overshadow or suppress where we are going.  The Gospel is a story about hope, not just pain.  And our joyful hope flows from the promised outcome of all there is–the redemption of the cosmos.

Resurrection is about the Creator God reclaiming, judging, and renewing the created world.  The Christian who believes in resurrection should also believe that working for God’s kingdom in the present is therefore “not in vain.”  -N.T. Wright

So, my dear family, be firmly fixed, unshakeable, always full to overflowing with the Lord’s work.  In the Lord, as you know, the work you’re doing will not be worthless.  I Corinthians 15:58

Maybe we need to counter balance all the crosses and crucifixes with some empty tombs, or road to Emmaus, or Jesus cooking fish on the shore pictures.  Just a thought.