water and wind

Jesus said to his disciples:

"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.

Remain in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,

just as I have kept my Father's commandments

and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that

my joy might be in you and

your joy might be complete."

Jn 15:9-11

One morning at the monastery last week, we decided to go for a hike. The guestmaster directed us to a trail that weaved back into one of the canyons nearby. It was a lovely trail - nice views, pretty wildflowers. After crossing a small stream, the trail tracked along large face of sandstone rock - shaped and curved in a million different lines by water and wind over the course of at least thousands of years. 


Kind of makes you think... water and wind. Tools that God uses to shape the face of the earth. 


In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples to "remain in my love." Of course, God loves all of us - but how do we first come to live in the love of God as Christians? 


Through Baptism - which leaves an "indelible" mark on our souls - in other words, a mark that cannot be erased. What do we use in Baptism? Water. 


Then, how do we keep the commandments, and remain in Christ's love? By grace - more broadly, through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives - changing us, and leading us ever closer to the truth and love of Jesus. The Spirit is represented in many ways in scripture and throughout Christian tradition - as a dove, as fire, and also, as the wind. 


Kind of makes you think... water and wind. Tools that God uses to shape the face of the human soul... so that we remain in his love. 


+Peace, and all good.