Seeker

This modern icon of Mary Magdalene was written by Brother Robert Lentz. It is in Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. I'm posting this image today because it is the feast day of Mary Magdalene. The Syrian inscription means 'Equal to the Apostles'.  Icons are intended to be like windows through which we may glimpse something glorious. They point beyond the image of the saint, to encourage the one who contemplates it to worship, not the saint, but God. In this icon, Mary Magdalene is pointing with her right hand to the egg held in her left. In some Christian traditions an egg is a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. According to John's Gospel, Mary Magdalene was the first apostle of Jesus' resurrection. She, with other spice-bearing women were the first to discover the empty tomb on the 3rd day. In the garden near the tomb, Mary Magdalene had a special enounter with the risen Christ and rushed to tell the disciples, "I have seen the Lord". They didn'...

You may know Jesus' parable of the sower. The problem with thinking we know a story, is we stop listening. The point of a parable is it provides something to grapple with – so it may change us, as our listening goes deeper. That is, if we do take time to really hear it. At 1st glance a parable is a simple story. But there’s always an unexpected twist to disturb pre-conceived ideas. Any farmer or gardener knows seed is precious, but the farmer in Jesus' parable of the sower is shockingly careless with the seed. He scattered it all over the place, instead of broadcasting it carefully on the best soil of the field. What farmer wastes seed like that? That’s the first shock. But there was more. Jesus’ hearers looked forward to God’s kingdom coming on earth. The prophets spoke of God sowing his field and bringing in the harvest – a picture of God rescuing his people. But Jesus’ story wasn’t what his hearers expected to hear. It wasn’t about God sowing Israel in its own land a...

Going through many weeks of lockdown due to the Covid19 pandemic has been a challenge. For many it has been an exhausting time. It has meant more work or more stressful work for some. For others, the exhaustion has come from worry or grief about losing a loved one, a livelihood, a way of life that no longer works. And for everyone there is so much about the future that is confusing or unknown. And many of us are fearful. Do you feel worn out and burdened by it all? You know you have to keep going, but the challenges of the immediate future are daunting. That can feel like standing at a rock face you have to climb. You have no idea how. The need for a novice climber is a skilled coach to come alongside, rope himself to you to tackle the climb together. He shows the way, understands your fears and limitations, guides you over tricky bits and holds you if you slip. He says, ‘Relax, together we can do this’. In Matthew 11: 28 - 30 Jesus invites the “weary and burdened” to come to him fo...