I have been deeply impacted by the
ministry of Jon Watts and
Maggie Harrison,
who are traveling among Friends, preaching a message of spiritual
rebirth. They speak to us of God's call to spiritual nakedness,
recapturing the unabashed intimacy that Adam and Eve experienced in
the Garden, before the Fall. They urge us to stand in the
light of Christ, allowing his presence to strip away all the layers
of falsehood that we have accumlated over the course of our lives.
Our wounds and pride, our fears and
fixations stand as barriers between us and God; between us and our
fellow human beings. We tend to believe that these barriers protect
us, but in fact they suffocate life and wonder, cutting us off from
relationship and intimacy. These deadening habits and hang-ups can
seem endless; each time we remove one article of fear-drenched
clothing, we encounter another layer beneath.
Yet, as we yield to Christ's action
within us, we come to experience moments of real nakedness before
God. We stand before our Creator in awe and gratitude, knowing in
some small measure the reality of Jesus'
prayer that we might be one with him, just as he and the Father are
one. We are left defenseless, together in the presence of the
Spirit, and all false distinctions melt away. We find a hidden unity
that runs deeper than all the masks we hide behind.
It is in this unity that Christ invites
us to be re-clothed. Standing bare before our loving Lord, he heals
our long-hidden wounds and dresses
them with the leaves of the tree of life. We discover a new
nature that we can be clothed in.
Taking off the old, tattered rags that
we used to hide behind, Jesus invites us to put on the pure linen of
his righteousness. As we clothe ourselves in his character, we find
that we become more truly ourselves than ever before. This new
covering reveals our true heart to the world. Trading our old
garments for the new life that Christ gives us, we acquire an amazing
transparency; the Holy Spirit shines
brightly through us. The joy within us irradiates our surroundings,
inviting our friends and neighbors into this breathtaking life of
wholeness in the Spirit.
What has it looked like in your life to
put aside the deeds of darkness and to put on the armor of light?
What does it mean to be clothed with Jesus?
6 comments:
Beautiful! and very clearly put. THANK YOU!
Beautiful! and very clearly put. THANK YOU!
Well said!
Righteous. Amen!
So glad for the support that you have given and continue to give Micah. I am inspired by your faithfulness and the energy that you put toward the Kingdom.
What does it mean to be clothed with Jesus?
For me it means living as Jesus lived ie being moved by Spirit and doing only what I see Father doing.
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