Lent #6: dance of a lifetime

Reflections on the Breathe lenten reader.

Relationship with Jesus is not about being "in" or "out" of the Christian club.  You can be legally married to someone without living in a covenant of love with that person.  In the same way, I can say I am a follower of Christ, but unless my life reflects a covenant relationship of love with Christ, then my words are just that: words. A legal marriage document does not document a real marriage relationship. Words of belief do not document a real covenant love relationship with Christ. It is the trajectory of the heart and the fruit of love over a lifetime.

Each person on the planet has opportunity to encounter the Light of God in some  way or another. I believe this to be true--although many may not name the Light as Jesus (perhaps never hearing the name of Jesus or not comprehending the reality of Christ), but yet, each the Light is revealed to each one.  This is mysterious and is the work of the Spirit.   The warmth of that Light will either compel someone to move toward it, or he or she will be repelled by it, and move away from it. In the course of lifetime, we dance with Light--at times moving toward, sometimes moving away, but only God can weigh the motivations and direction of our heart.  Relationship with Christ is not determined in a moment of salvation, but in a lifetime of embracing the Light. In the same way, a marriage is not determined at the "I do"s, but in the a lifetime of choosing one another.  This is a great grace to us.  It means that our faith is not determined by our behavior in a particular day or in a particular instance, but by our embrace and dance with the Light over time.  God sees who we are not just in a sliver of time, but in our wild and difficult, beautiful and painful, unfolding relationship with the Light.

The Gospel of John-a light to our path:

^{John 3:19} Why does God allow for judgment and condemnation? Because the Light, sent from God, pierced through the world’s darkness to expose ill motives, hatred, gossip, greed, violence, and the like. Still some people preferred the darkness over the light because their actions were dark. ²⁰ Some of humankind hated the light and so avoided its warm glow. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes.²¹ Those who abandon deceit and embrace what is true, they will enter into the light where it will be clear that all their deeds come from God.