Henry Ossawa Tanner – The Annunciation
Stumbling into sacred space,
I overhear
whispers in the heavens,
declaring,
preparing,
scaring
me.
Wrestling in the Presence
and overshadowed,
I gasp
and Spirit blows,
and lungs expand,
and I exhale,
“Yessss…”
© Sharon Fleshman, 2011, 2013
Your Call: In what place is God summoning you and awaiting your Yes?
So they chained your wrists,
convinced that they had snatched your freedom.
But they didn’t know
that Love slipped through the bars,
whispered in your ear,
and multiplied Power within your soul.
They were oblivious to Hope and Peace,
who held your hands and didn’t let go.
Upon your release,
you carried Justice
and embodied Grace.
Amandla.
Madiba,
thank you.
Your Call: How does Mandela’s life and legacy compel you to move toward your own calling in life?
Recently, I attended a surprise birthday party and over the speakers, I heard a melody
that was vaguely familiar. Beyonce was singing Get Me Bodied. Apparently the song had been released a few years ago, but I didn’t take notice of it at that time. At its most basic level, Get Me Bodied is an infectious dance song, so I could leave it at that. But I won’t, mostly because I’m on a quest to feel more aware of and at home in my own body. As easy as Bey makes it look (at least in the video), walking in the psalmist’s declaration of being fearfully and wonderfully made often takes some soul work.
I have fond memories of family gatherings when I was a child and much less self-conscious. We would get together and do the Bump and the Bus Stop. (Yes, I’m dating myself.) And when the Jackson Five’s Dancing Machine came on, all of us kids stopped what we were doing and started in on the Robot. Every year around this time, I enjoy my ritual of watching the dance scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas. When I watch those lovable characters in the Peanuts gang, I am struck by their exuberance and their comfort with moving in their own rhythms. Some are on beat; others are off. None of them care one way or the other. All of them are having a great time.
As I strive to befriend my body, things get complicated when it doesn’t cooperate. While I feel blessed to be relatively healthy, I do have some issues that give me pause and remind me of the need to be vigilant. What happens when your body seems to turn against you? An OB/GYN answered this question in a revolutionary way right before she had a double mastectomy. I looked at her video again and remembered where I heard Get Me Bodied before.
Sometimes I wonder how Jesus experienced his own body, especially before his public ministry. Did he ever feel unattractive or awkward as a teenager? Did he get sick or have to watch sick people suffer and die? If he did, perhaps he recalled a previous conversation that he had in another space in eternity. A conversation amidst the Holy Trinity’s lament over a fallen world where he spoke up and said “Get Me Bodied.” Actually, he hasn’t stopped saying it. He continues to say it to you and me.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1,14 (NIV)
Your Call: Take some time to watch the videos. How do they make you feel? How would you describe your relationship with your body? In what sense might Jesus be telling you “Get Me Bodied?”
Somewhere between already and not yet, I’ve thought about what it looks like to be thankful in the midst of longing. So how does a holiday defined by gratitude end up so close to a season based on waiting for the fulfillment of Promise? Is there is a reason why Advent arrives so soon after Thanksgiving? Can gratitude and desire co-exist? I think so. In fact, I hope that they do more than co-exist. I want them to become friends.
By pointing out what is good in my life and in the world, gratitude can lead us to a place of rest as we recall the faithfulness of God in times past. It nudges us when tempted to sleepwalk through life in perpetual daydreams of what could be. Gratitude grounds us in the moment, encouraging us to be fully present in it. Then, desire brings balance. It speaks of possibility, and doesn’t allow for complacency with what is, but invites us to answer Jesus (honestly) when he asks “What do you want?” Recognizing desire can alert us to needs and issues that are both within and around us, all the while stirring us to action.
I look forward to seeing how gratitude and desire will connect in my life over the next month. In the meantime, it is my prayer that this Advent season awakens you to the presence of Christ and his purpose for your life in a world in much need of love, hope, and justice.
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. Romans 13:11 (NIV)
Your Call: In what area(s) of your life do you need to be more fully awake? If gratitude and desire had a conversation regarding your life at the moment, what would it sound like?
