Crossings 2.0. Now to continue where I left off last week.
Jesus has just made the most important crossing for himself and the rest of the world. It is actually a double crossing. He has crossed from life into death. And then, from death into life. And that's so, as believers, we also do a double crossing. We go from this life through death into eternal life. One large difference. We don't come back into this earthly life again as us.
I have gone through two crossings this week I want to highlight. The first is speed. I crossed into wondering once more what had happened. I blinked once or twice and went from Christmas to Easter. At least, it seemed like no time at all to me. I have noticed this happening more and more as I age. A colleague of mine, the Rev. Ralph Milton, explained it this way. "You see it is a matter of fractions. When you are 3, a year represents one third of your life. When you are 82, one year is only 1/82nd. The older you are, the smaller it gets; and then, the more quickly it passes." He has long since died, yet I am now fully experiencing his mathematics.
The second crossing is far less joyful. Patience is something I have much to learn about. As an extrovert, I am used to getting things done. Not so with our vehicle repairs. The insurance company is still awaiting the final repair numbers from the auto body shop. Then, a final decision will be made about a write-off or repair. Then, parts will need to be found and ordered. Or (shudder) backordered. We are a long way from a vehicle that we can use. The disciples knew this also. John 21 tells us that some of them are going back to their former jobs. Notice they get what a lot of fishing people get; water. They just haven't gotten it yet. Discipleship and witnessing are already in gear. Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24 and John 20:1-18 all have the first witness telling others about Jesus' resurrection. All of them have another six weeks before life will really get busy when it takes another major shift, but I am getting ahead of myself.
I leave you with this question:
How was crossing Easter for you this year? What was the same and what was different?
Pr. Scott
