I have been loving going through the parables for Lent and discovering the upside down, inside out, backwards paradoxes of Jesus' teachings.
We like BIG. Jesus is a fan of SMALL. Seeds. Children. Net worths.
We want to be IMPORTANT. Jesus calls us to be the LEAST. The servant. The last. The poor.
We like to WIN. Jesus calls us to LOSE. Our lives. Our self-absorption. Our egos.
We want MONEY, FAME, SECURITY. Jesus calls us to RISK. To sell our possessions and to give up our reputations.
We want to FIGHT evil. Jesus calls us to FORGIVE evil.
We like PEOPLE LIKE US who are in our circles. Jesus calls us to love PEOPLE UNLIKE US who OFFEND us or SCARE us, those outside our circle, even our ENEMIES. The leper, the tax collector, the addict and the sex worker. Our neighbors who live outside, identify as transgender, practice Islam, or speak a different language.
My prayer as we continue through Lent is that we continue to embrace the downward descent of the cross and begin to value the small and menial everyday things that turn out to be the most significant.
by Jessica Ketola
We like BIG. Jesus is a fan of SMALL. Seeds. Children. Net worths.
We want to be IMPORTANT. Jesus calls us to be the LEAST. The servant. The last. The poor.
We like to WIN. Jesus calls us to LOSE. Our lives. Our self-absorption. Our egos.
We want MONEY, FAME, SECURITY. Jesus calls us to RISK. To sell our possessions and to give up our reputations.
We want to FIGHT evil. Jesus calls us to FORGIVE evil.
We like PEOPLE LIKE US who are in our circles. Jesus calls us to love PEOPLE UNLIKE US who OFFEND us or SCARE us, those outside our circle, even our ENEMIES. The leper, the tax collector, the addict and the sex worker. Our neighbors who live outside, identify as transgender, practice Islam, or speak a different language.
My prayer as we continue through Lent is that we continue to embrace the downward descent of the cross and begin to value the small and menial everyday things that turn out to be the most significant.
by Jessica Ketola
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