What if the word ‘holy’ is hard for me?
What’s it like to hear the word, ‘holy?’
Perhaps you picture something adorned in white or gold that is royal and regal. Or perhaps you think of someone or some being that is high up and far off—someone who looks down on you and others with judgment. Perhaps you think of something special but unattainable. Or perhaps this word brings pain because it has been used to hurt you.
What if ‘holy’ is a wondrous mystery?
There is a mystery to the humanity and god-ness of the person called Jesus.
Some of our friends here might think that Jesus existed and that there are things we can learn from this teacher and healer, while others may believe that he was the god of an ancient people group that took on flesh and came to earth to walk among his people.
Wherever you find yourself today, I want to share that the humanity of Jesus is something that has confounded me and caused me to wonder.
If God did in fact become human to be among his people, then I am intrigued by this kind of god—a god who would get his feet dirty,
and experience what it was like to be thirsty and hungry, a god who would experience the sting of death, betrayal, and being overcome with sorrow.
And if Jesus really is the picture of what a holy human looks like, then we can see that the human things he did and experienced were a part of this holy life.
What if ‘holy’ includes ordinary wonders?
Maybe today, you are feeling the pressure to spend your days doing holy things—we may think of things like prayer, singing Christian songs, and reading our Bibles—yet
Jesus shows us that there is more ordinary in our holy work than what we may typically imagine.
sleeping in the midst of a storm is holy work
sharing a meal with others is holy work
tending to the garden is holy work
caring for the oppressed, marginalized, and for those we view as enemies is holy work
resting is holy work.
When we image the Holy One—the ordinary ways we were created to—we live truer and happier. We live nearer to who we are as holy ones.
