Wednesday Morning Wake Up

Love. Beauty. Power. Inspiration. Joy. These are the marks of the follower of Jesus.

I arose this morning at four o’clock. There’s no good reason. I just woke up. And in a good mood at that.

The coffee machine hisses and sputters. I’m drinking a little java while pondering how this day might unfold. I need to take my meds here in a few moments. Self-care looks like a daily routine for me. I need scaffolding to remember to do the simplest things. Otherwise, I forget to take care of myself. For the most part, I have given up feeling ashamed for needing scaffolding. For the most part.

This morning’s musing is about shame. And Jesus. But not the shame that some followers of his assume is essential to spiritual transformation. Jesus doesn’t want us to feel shame. At least not for the reasons proposed by so many. See: The Beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel.

Today’s Franciscan Nugget:

Day Twenty - The Third Way of Service, cont'd - Tertiaries endeavor to serve others in active work. We try to find expression for each of the three aims of the Order in our lives, and whenever possible actively help others who are engaged in similar work. The chief form of service which we have to offer is to reflect the love of Christ, who, in his beauty and power, is the inspiration and joy of our lives.

It’s that “chief form of service” that has my attention this morning as I relish in the quiet solitude of predawn Richmond.

Love. Beauty. Power. Inspiration. Joy. These are the marks of the follower of Jesus. The Way of Jesus is narrow because it is Love. It’s narrowness is not a hardness of vision or of heart, but rather the narrowness that comes from the simplicity of Love alone. We love. That is all. And that is enough.

We perceive God’s Beauty around and within. The Spirit of God illuminates all. Our interactions and relationships are reflections of God’s Spirit. This includes our relationship to and interactions with all of Creation. Through the Spirit, we have an interpersonal relationship with God’s own Creation if for no other reason than we are part of that Creation and not separate from it.

In all of this Power can be the sticky wicket. Throughout the ages, Christians have sought power. Often this power is akin to political legitimacy and the results of such seeking have been murderous. The Power we are invited to engage is not the power of Empire. It is not violent. Rather, it is the Power of Relinquishment, of letting go. Again, Luke’s Gospel shows us Jesus’ own temptations in the desert. Worldly power is tempting. Look at all the good you can do if you point the guns at the right people! But Jesus eschews such power, and so should we who follow him. Our power is found in the Cross, in being laid bare, in our dying to the powers of this life and Rising to the Powers of Kingdom of God.

Jesus is the Inspiration for all such spiritual seeking. We seek where he has gone. We follow where he has led. Our work is to be like Jesus, not to simply admire or even adore him. Admiration and Adoration may come, but they are not the goal. Instead, we are encouraged to witness the Life of Christ and, through prayer, fasting, and generally making a hash of things, we are to emulate it remembering all the while that it is God’s work within us that makes any success possible.

All of this spiritual striving will bring us Joy. Joy in Jesus. Joy in Love. Joy in Beauty and even in the upside down Power of the Kingdom. That Joy will be visible to others. The sanctity of the Franciscan path is marked by Joy. As ever, Joy is not constant happiness. No. It is rather a deep contentment, a resting in the presence of God in Christ.

So, back to shame. Contextualize it. Shame is only healthy when it leads us to this spiritual path. Jesus never leaves us to wallow in our shame. Instead, Jesus repurposes it so that we might better learn to love ourselves and our neighbors.

Are you experiencing shame? Meet it with the narrowness of Love. Find Beauty in the world God has given us. Disarm it with the Power that comes from letting go and letting God be. Let Jesus be your inspiration. Meet your own shame with compassion and liberation. Finally, embrace and demonstrate Joy. Joy is the fruit of the Christian spiritual path.

That’s what I got today. I need more coffee.

Y’all be excellent to each other.