Remembering Belovedness
Tending our memory of Jesus's love for us.
In times of transition and instability our perpective can become skewed. We may lose our footing and begin to question God's presence in our lives and our own sense of personal identity. An example in scripture is the disciples response to the crucifixion. Jesus had spent a lot of time trying to prepare them for the event, but it became a great point of instability and questioning of all they knew. It was a monumental disappointment as far as they could see. After the they witness the crucifixion of Jesus, they are confused, disillusioned, and in essence, lost. They are in a period of transition. What they thought they knew no longer is. They are filled with questions: “What does this mean …Why did this happen…How could this be …What do we do now…Do we go back to what we know, what feels comfortable?”
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What we learn in the gospels is that the disciples’ eyes are opened as they remember the actions and words of Jesus. In two scenes of the Gospels, they interact with One whom they think is a stranger, but their memories jolt their recognition as they see the Stranger break bread and as they hear the Stranger say “Cast your nets to the other side.” They recognize their risen Lord as they remember his previous actions and words to them during his ministry (Luke 24:13-35; John 21:1-12). Their memory of what he was like, the things that he said to them, and his very actions jolt their recognition of him in their presence and eventually, as in Peter’s case, they remember the essence of who they are…his beloved disciples, commissioned to feed his sheep.
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With this context, we can consider how creating a solid memory and imagination of Jesus and who we are in Christ to help us find our footing in times of transition and instability, whether it be our leaving home for college, or a breakup in a relationship, or figuring out who we are in the context of a new job, or experiencing great loss and grief. In times of instability we can consider how remembering Jesus, who is the exact image of the invisible God, can give us an understanding of our own belovedness, that He does not leave us as orphans. We can let His words to us and His love for us guide us through the uncertainty.
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In the blogs and podcast on this site we will consider four big questions that we as humans ask, especially in times of transition and struggle. Who is God? Who am I? What’s my purpose? Where do I belong? I suggest that these are important questions for individuals in times of transition and especially in the life stage of emerging adulthood. Each question will be discussed within the framework of belovedness. With Jesus as guide and model we will consider the concept and its application to living lives of flourishing and the way we lead and serve in ministry. We'll also engage in practices that will help to internalize and live out that concept in a deeper way and look at art and poetry and hear stories that help transfer what we know about God's love in our heads to really living and experiencing God's love in our hearts.