I couldn't sleep . . . so I went for an early morning walk. I pondered where we are as a church, specifically as the Uniting Church in Australia. I found a pretty path. Nice, wide, beautiful scenery. How lovely. The pretty path led to a nice picnic area. Tables, BBQ's, shelters. Here we can set ourselves up to enjoy the company of those who come to the same space. Here we can cook together, share stories together, eat together. Here we can watch the kids play together and laugh and tell stories. Here we could all have a good time. But I'm not sure the pretty path is really where God calls us as a church. . . . I think it might be something more than this, something different. I'm not sure we are called to gather at the end of the pretty path, and have a good time together. I think there might be something other than the pretty path for our church . . . . |
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One can be easier than the other. I have been witness to both, and have probably lived both as well. The confused space isn't easy. Riding the spin isn't always easy. It is though, an invitation to step into a trusting time, and there, a certain kind of robustness grows. A gift perhaps from the one who is Other than us . . . . .
But not for the 30 pieces of silver. These coins are hidden, unquestioned, unchallenged. Or at least Judas was hoping so. But as he dipped his hand in the bowl with Jesus, the deception was known. The reality exposed. The torment of Judas' soul I could never imagine.
I hear in my mind the jingle of the unquestioned thirty pieces of silver. Thirty pieces of silver, that would change our world, from the beginning of time, to the end of time and beyond.
I had a man attempt to converse with me, but I wasn't interested, and his cynicism and low appreciation for photography and technology wasn't going to help our conversation. He eventually walked off. That wasn't so much fun. But like when you go fishing (as part of our conversation had been) you sometimes have to wait patiently. You might or might not catch anything. I may not have been catching what I was hoping to catch, but I came home with something I was proud of.
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