Can you (or I) receive life?
It’s an honest question that I ask myself. It was a question that had an easy answer: “Of course I can!”
These days this question is met with another question: “What does that mean? Are you an alt-right, pro-life agendist?!” or “Are you a leftist, tree-hugging, climate change type?”
I would rather get back to the first question for a moment, way back to the original word “life”, which in Latin and all Romantic languages is “vita”. This is also the root of vital, vitality, vigor.
Can you or I receive life? In a time that every bit of news we seem to get is about death or strife, this is not as easy as it seems. It makes me recall these words attributed to Christ: “I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.”
Where is this abundant life, and is it there for our taking, or might we be better off receiving it? I think all people of all faiths or beliefs might agree to begin to share AND receive life. It’s a simple thought, really.
On this day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit and also the Jewish day of Shavuot, the feast of weeks and the ancient grain festival, there is a celebration of creation, redemption and “life”.
If you take away their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth -Psalm 104
May this be our daily focus, to receive life and make new life possible.
If you’d like to hear and see one insight on renewing the face of the earth, click here. And while listening, turn to these amazing pictures of Iceland, taken by Pamela Metivier! If you are unfortunately not a Facebook friend of Pam’s, please try here.