An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

"I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord. (from Ezekiel 37:1-14 ) In 586 BC, the Israelite rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar came to an end and Jerusalem was in ruins. As was the custom of the time, the bones of fallen warriors are left on the battlefield, denied formal burial, and desecrated by animals. For the Israelites, this felt like God's broken covenant and unspeakable loss. God's hope for this desperate situation, is calling the prophet Ezekiel, showing him a valley of dry bones. God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?" God tells Ezekiel to speak the Word of the Lord, in this valley of dry bones.  As Ezekiel speaks, God breathes into the bones re-creating new life. Thorough God's spirit, dry bones are not the last word. In Ukraine, 2,600 years later, Ezekiel's metaphor takes on real life.  Death, destruction, and despair se...

The man born blind answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." (from John 9:1-41 ) Going on a cave tour, the guide turned off the lights leaving us in total darkness literally unable to see our hand in front of our faces. I couldn't see any members of the group.  I was totally focused on my safety. When the lights came back on, I could see my hand in front of my face, other group members, the cave's unique features, and a sense of security. In the darkness no perspective; in the light is reality. It was probably a lonely experience for the blind man who's at others' mercy, lacking a sense of security, begging, and excluded from temple worship.  By God's Grace, Jesus, sees the blind man's situation, heals him and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The blind man, interrogated by his neighbors, in frustration says, "One thing I do know, though I was blind, now I see." I'm convin...

Jesus said to her,  “Everyone who drinks of this water  will be thirsty again, but those who drink  of the water that I will give them  will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become  in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”  (from John 4:5-42 ) The Bible mentions w ater  722 times  as streams, wells, and springs with the power to heal, purify, provide deliverance, and destroy evil and enemies. "Water" is found in Genesis 1:2 and streams its way through the Bible to Revelation 22:17. At Jacob's well, water's power is about healing a person's vulnerability.  When Jesus appears at Jacob's well tired and thirsty and meets a Samaritan woman the  mutual vulnerability begins. Jesus, as a Jewish male, has advantage over the woman, but he's also a disadvantaged, thirsty, tired traveling foreigner without a bucket to draw water. The Samaritan woman is at disadvantage because of gender and race, but she...

Jesus answered Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world  that he gave his only Son,  so that everyone who believes in him  may not perish but may have eternal life."  (from John 3:1-17 ) Reynisfjara Beach, a stunning Black Beach, in South Iceland, is known for its dramatic natural landscapes of the caves, sea spikes, black sand, and large rock formations that rise out of the sea. The Heavens above produce magnificent sunsets, sunrises, and the Norther Lights The world around you is an extremely dangerous North Atlantic beach capable of 120 ft. powerful, waves able to knock you down and drag you out to sea. Standing on the Black Beach are the "heavens" above and the "world" around you. John's theology is one of a two-story universe. "Heaven" is the upper story, centered around God, is a realm of life, light, and abundance.  The “world” is the lower story, a realm of hate and darkness, living in pain only partly knowing God. Nicodemus, is curious...