April 22, 2011,
Today is Good Friday. The weather is a fitting reminder of what it might have been like over 2000 years ago when Jesus was nailed to the cross. I did not spend much time outside because of the chill and the drizzle, other than to get in and out of my car (and to walk around a block to copy down some numbers in the city for apartments to rent). This afternoon the words, "Wanting to please the crowd, Pilate released Barnabas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified." (Mark 15:15) caught my attention. The first five words were the ones that resonated in my heart because they can lead to so much trouble. How many times have I said "No" to something I should have said "Yes" to or "Yes" to that which I knew in my heart was not God's best? How many times have I been quiet when I should have spoken up or on a different occasion spoke a word to contribute to gossip? How often have I not done something for fear of what others will think or on the other side of the coin, done something because of the pressure from those around me? Basically the reason captured by those five words, "wanting to please the crowd..." have the power to lead us where we do not want to go -- all because we want to please others.
Pilate had power over those who brought Jesus before him and yet he feared their power. He feared losing his position. He feared creating a stir. In another of the gospels we are told he clearly knew that Jesus was innocent but releasing a guilty man and sentencing the innocent one was to Pilate worth the price. Because had he not done so, he would have been accused of harboring an enemy of Caesar. His decision to satisfy the crowd led to the crucifixion of an innocent man, which we know had to happen to the Son of God because of the prophecy in the Old Testament. The death of His only Son on the cross was God's redemption plan for the world. And I am oh so thankful for it!! But at the same time I do not want to be like Pilate who made his decision so as to please others. To appease, to satisfy. So often those motivations cause us to take our eyes off of the One who we are called to please -- God our Father. I am challenged again in this Easter season to look at what is the motivation behind my choices. I want to choose Jesus in everything.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Lovely Spring
April 20, 2011
And so months after my last entry, I finally return to the blogging world. I have lots to write but other things have taken priority. This afternoon I am sitting outside with my computer taking care of details. The rain has temporarily passed by and we are left with a glorious spring day. Before me is a bank of yellow and white daffodils; purple, blue, and yellow violets; bleeding hearts, and the beginnings of blossoms on a dogwood tree. I do love spring in spite of the fact that I also love snow. It was a gift (for me an probably no one else in Lancaster County) to have seen snow and daffodils on my second day back in Lancaster -- April 1. What caught my attention just a few minutes ago were two ants. At first glance it looked as if they were working together to carry a long blade of gress. But upon closer inspection I realized that the one ant would periodically hop on the grass and be carried. Other times it would step off and crawl in a different direction. Dead weight more than a helping hand. It was an interesting sight among ants who so often work as a team. Many analogies could be made but I will not make them today. I simply enjoyed the scene.
Adjusting back to the United States is going well overall. There are definitely challenges and moments of sadness. A few things just do not seem normal yet. I am so accustomed to handing my credit card directly to a cashier that I had to be told there was a scanner in front of me to use. While helping out at Black Rock Retreat these past few days, I realized that my tolerance for others talking while I am has gone up. It almost head to because culturally it happened much more frequently in Latin America and I had to get use to it. I have quite a few praise stories to share, but I will have to wait until another moment. For now I will just mention how thankful I am to be able to enjoy the views of this spring as well as the time with my family and friends.
And so months after my last entry, I finally return to the blogging world. I have lots to write but other things have taken priority. This afternoon I am sitting outside with my computer taking care of details. The rain has temporarily passed by and we are left with a glorious spring day. Before me is a bank of yellow and white daffodils; purple, blue, and yellow violets; bleeding hearts, and the beginnings of blossoms on a dogwood tree. I do love spring in spite of the fact that I also love snow. It was a gift (for me an probably no one else in Lancaster County) to have seen snow and daffodils on my second day back in Lancaster -- April 1. What caught my attention just a few minutes ago were two ants. At first glance it looked as if they were working together to carry a long blade of gress. But upon closer inspection I realized that the one ant would periodically hop on the grass and be carried. Other times it would step off and crawl in a different direction. Dead weight more than a helping hand. It was an interesting sight among ants who so often work as a team. Many analogies could be made but I will not make them today. I simply enjoyed the scene.
Adjusting back to the United States is going well overall. There are definitely challenges and moments of sadness. A few things just do not seem normal yet. I am so accustomed to handing my credit card directly to a cashier that I had to be told there was a scanner in front of me to use. While helping out at Black Rock Retreat these past few days, I realized that my tolerance for others talking while I am has gone up. It almost head to because culturally it happened much more frequently in Latin America and I had to get use to it. I have quite a few praise stories to share, but I will have to wait until another moment. For now I will just mention how thankful I am to be able to enjoy the views of this spring as well as the time with my family and friends.
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