Kyrie Eleison (Gr. Lord have mercy)
~ Ancient words of the Church
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
~ from Ephesians 2
Oh beloved, it is true. We were dead. Our hearts were stone. And even though they were hard, they hurt and pulsed with a bitterness and angst we all know.
We were alone.
We were dying.
We were separated from Him.
Fear was our home. Nothing was safe. The only thing we knew for sure was that we were going to die. And the death we faced frightened us to a panic. And in this panic, we caved in. We tried to surround ourselves with as much stuff and chemistry and imagery as we could.
Some screamed that G_d was being mean to us. But something in us knew that this was not true. It is not that G_d was going to reject us if we did not turn to Him. It is just that there is no life anywhere else but Him.
But G_d!
He called us. And somehow, we finally finally listened to His voice.
So Real
So Kind
So God
So Loving
So Freeing
So Hopeful
So Beautiful
“Come child. Live!”
And we gasp on the clean air of eternity as it enters our lungs. We were dead.
We say, “What just happened?”
He responds, “This was finished a very long ago child. You finally changed your mind and let yourself believe it. And because you see the Truth, you can now experience it. This will never end. Oh how I Love you! I always have.”
“i can hear you!”
“Yes. I AM here. I will never leave you or forsake you.”
“Oh Father! i am alive! i am alive! i am alive!”
“Yes. Death no longer has any claim on you. Everything has been paid for. We have assured this. Nothing can separate you from our Love. Nothing.”
“Oh my! What has happened to my heart?”
“I have exchanged your heart of stone, for a heart of flesh. I will teach you how to use it; both to experience my Great Love and to give the same to others. Sit with me child. We have so many things to talk about.”
“But… do you have time for this? i mean, do You want to?”
“Of course! I AM particularly fond of you my friend. I AM also infinite. I AM able to be all there with every one of you wonderful friends.”
“Oh Father! i am so joyful. Why?”
“You are in my Presence. I AM unchanging, and I AM exceedingly joyful. We sing for the great happiness We have found in redeeming you from the death in which you once lived.”
Something in us wants to know more, “So, what next Father?”
“One moment at a time child. We shall be hand-in-Hand forever now that you know Me. And the things I have to show you are exceedingly, abundantly beyond your ability to yet comprehend. Let’s just walk together. Will you join Me?”
“Of course Papa!”
And the feeling we experience in the moment He smiles back at us is like the sun breaking through on the coldest of rainy days. We are alive and real and whole and free – and in Love.
