Skip to main content

The Way to Jesus


John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins.

Hope is a powerful force.

The hope of a coming Messiah led John the Baptizer from the wilderness, to the river, and calling for repentance.

The hope of justice in 1952 inspired Private Sarah K. Evans on her way home from her first military assignment, to refuse to move to the back of the bus.

The hope of Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman encouraged, a black teenager, Claudette Colvin, in 1955 to refuse to surrender her bus seat to a white person resulting in being handcuffed and arrested.

The Hope in the Civil Rights Movement prompted Rosa Parks to refuse giving up her seat in the "colored" section of the bus when the "white" section was filled.

Hope a better life drives migrants from Venezuela.

The hope of a future prophetic voice led me to baptized Phoebe Kim, my Pastor's daughter.

Hope is a powerful force based on Scripture.

Hebrews 11:1, 8-22, for example, describes Abraham’s faith in trusting God's goodness and ability to deliver on the promises God had made.

Hope is the way to Jesus when we feel the darkness of life hiding the way to Jesus.

Blind Bartimaeus discovered the light of Jesus when he cried out for healing, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

When we look at the violent, chaotic world around and within us and wonder about a way to Jesus, with the hope of Bartimaeus, we can call out “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us”

Think about it: In this season of holiday preparation, how do you slow down and look for a way to Jesus?


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus, Deliverance, and Demons

"Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind." (from Luke 8:26-39 ) Astrid is a streaming program I often watch. The plot is a basic cops and robbers action until the criminal is caught. The uniqueness of the program is Astrid, who is on the Autism spectrum, is brilliant at solving puzzles including connecting clues to solve the crime. Watching this program has given me a more profound insight to people living with this condition and their acceptance in society. My first-hand experience with children on the Spectrum was driving a Special Needs school bus for 6 years. With this experience, I can imagine the life the possessed man was experiencing, especially living among the tombs, bound with chains and shackles, having to live in the wilds. It was no wonder he cried for mercy. Jesus, with his power and mercy, cast the demons out and even...
Post a Comment
Read more