Don’t you know
that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism
into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. -
Romans 6:3-4
At the core of my
being there lies truth, the reality of who I really am. In the
silence, in fluid motion, in my breath, I discover an inward
solidness that holds firm through all circumstances. Looking back
over my life, the only constant is change. It is not only the world
around me that shifts and evolves - over the course of time, I myself
am rendered almost unrecognizable. I can hardly identify with the
person I was fifteen years ago. My motivations, desires and worldview
have all undergone a tremendous realignment.
And yet, there is
something essential that does not move. It is an inward observer who
has always been present and knows my true identity. All of my
changeable states, ideas, desires and personality orbit around this
deepest part of me. This thread of continuity runs through all of me
- body, mind and emotions. It is the
good seed that Christ has sown in my heart.
This seed is the
source of all true growth and positive change in my life. It is the
force that overcomes the self-centered, self-destructive patterns
that I am prone to. It is the
new name that God has given me. If I allow this seed to take root
within me, it gives me power to be transformed, little by little,
until I am remade in the image of Jesus.
The living presence
of Christ within me offers a new way to change. Rather than being
buffeted by the storms of the world, the seed of Christ within sinks
its roots deep into the bedrock of God. As this new life grows within
me, I find that I am changing in ways that keep me in sync with the
Way, the Truth and the Life. My changing becomes increasingly a
process of abiding in Jesus.
This involves
dying. My old, rebellious ways of living must fall away, and the
pruning is often painful. So many of my old assumptions and habits
turn out to be inadequate for life in the Kingdom. I see how often I
try to control my relationship with God and other people by creating
my own set of rules, a law. Yet, the baptizing power of the seed tugs
at me, inviting me to walk in relationship with Jesus. When I truly
love him, there are no more rules - only living
commandments spoken moment by moment. On
this hangs the law and the prophets.
In this new year, I
resolve to seek the seed within, to be open to transformation by the
Holy Spirit. In a world that is always changing, I resolve to make
the unshakable presence of Jesus my reference point. With his help, I
will seek a way that goes beyond the law - the rules that I
substitute for a living friendship with Jesus.
1 comment:
Thank you, Micah, for your eloquence and clarity. It heartens me that folks are learning this before old age. Peace and Joy be upon and within you.
Post a Comment