David Hayward, who creates provocative images under the name Naked Pastor (www.nakedpastor.com), drew the image pictured here, entitled “Eraser” that stops me in my tracks every time I see it. Hayward says of this image, “Jesus Eraser is a reminder that not everything is set in stone forever. You can change the story, erase the lines, and create something new.” The illustration has profound overtones of forgiveness, redemption, and
new beginnings.
While the erasing Jesus is beautiful and captivating, I can’t help but also notice that everyone else in the image is focused on scribbling to make new lines and thicken existing boundaries. They are determined to maintain the boxes and barriers that carve out their little corners of the world.
Why do we devote so much of our time drawing lines and borders? Why do we spend our lives – our energy, money, and time – clinging to our little plots of life when God offers us so much more through shared community?
I was moved by Faith Formation Director Angie Seiller’s recent Children’s Message when she openly wondered what it meant that God loved all people. (www.tinyurl.com/childrensmessage61). Angie asked, “Have you heard of the word ‘all’? It’s a pretty big meaning for a teeny tiny word.”
Section by section, she had groups of people stand up in the worship space and kept asking the kiddos, “Is this all? Is this everyone?” “No!” the kids yelled. So she added another group and another and another until everyone in the worship space was standing. Still, this wasn’t all. There were those who were watching online and those beyond our Lutheran Christian community who are enveloped in God’s encompassing “all.”
Jesus spent his whole ministry challenging people to think and look and love beyond themselves. He moved beyond the existing limitations of Jew and Gentile, clean and unclean, men and women, wealthy and poor, inviting us into a more expansive and comprehensive life.
Paul in his letter to the Romans focused on integrated communities and faith, too. Not only are we all recipients of God’s grace, but we are called to love and care for one another in deep and meaningful ways.
Martin Luther, in his commentary on the book of Romans (1519), spoke of humanity’s tendency to become ‘curved in on itself’ (homo incurvatus in se). Our self-absorption literally leads to naval-gazing. But Paul refuses to let preoccupation with ourselves be our guiding purpose. Instead, centered in Jesus and empowered by the Spirit of God, he teaches us to embrace a life lived for others.
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it.
Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.
Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.
Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.
Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.”
(Romans 12:9-13 from Eugene Peterson’s The Message)
How is God calling you to live and love beyond yourself this summer? Who do you struggle to include in God’s encompassing “all”? What lines of division would you like to erase?
May our communal mission at Lord of Life to live, share, and celebrate with all people give you purpose and clarity as we are fueled by the love of God.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Pastor Lowell Michelson