When you have a few minutes, gaze upon the image below which features one of the stained-glass windows at our Motherhouse. Then consider one or each reflective question.
Reflective questions:
The author of WISDOM, expressing what s/he has come to EXPERIENCE in KNOWING GOD, observes all of life - its natural goodness and beauty, its natural rhythms and balances, its cyclical, harmonious and melodic, unending, and self-giving perpetuation.
In a contemplative stance toward life, the author "sees" this, and comes to the Profound Conclusion that ... "God did not make death,"
but that rather, GOD IS LIFE; nothing less -- GOD IS PURE LIFE.
Contemplating and pondering further, the author, who "knows" the Creation stories and images, and seeing around him, not only all that is good, but also seeing the discord, disregard, disrespect, and violence that also exists, s//he comes to another Profound Conclusion, that is, likewise, Scripturally accurate:
"[through] envy, .. death entered the world ..."
In the story of Lucifer's fall, we hear it was because of envy and jealousy, rivalry and contemptuousness. In the story Cain and Able, we hear it was jealousy and envy that led Cain to slaughter his own brother.
We can look all around us today, and see, too, how true these Ancient Observations of Wisdom are.
JESUS saw it, too, in his Time. He saw, and was, he, himself 'criminalized' by jealousy and rivalry in all aspects of life -- political, religious, economic, social. He "saw" and understood and became victim of the rivalrous greed and violence of his day.
So can we look around and see how competitiveness and rivalry dominate our Times.
We need the 'healing touch of JESUS' in all these areas of our lives.
Both the girl and the woman in the gospel were "untouchable," "unclean" for different, yet same reasons. Touch a dead corpse? Touch a woman who is bleeding? Touch a girl, a woman? Whatever was JESUS thinking?
We KNOW what JESUS was thinking. We, the People of Faith, the People of His Company, the People of His Discipleship KNOW what JESUS was thinking. We KNOW what he was always thinking.
JESUS was thinking of RESTORING OTHERS TO WHOLENESS and RIGHTNESS-of-BEING.
Like God, JESUS "Knew" that God did not make death; that death is not of, nor from God, as GOD IS LIFE. JESUS "Knew" that these two very special, very beloved daughters, were daughters of God; they were daughters of LIFE. His actions spoke this loud and clear.
As JESUS' 'learners,' might our words and actions speak LIFE to those in our care, to all those we encounter.
Thanks, Renae, for your inspirational reflection questions on 'life after death'. They all hit home.