Lent Thirty Seven "Get up and Walk"

 

Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, Metropolitan Museum of Art, British Museum, Art Institute Chicargo, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Art and History Museum Brussels, National Gallery of Victoria and Claude Monet's Home at Giverny, France.

Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear. 

Spinoza, Ethics, 1677

Surf where the wave is.  The greatest experiences have an edge to them. The degree of confidence exceeds the fear of failure.  I get up on the wave and the experience is amazing.  Finding the 'cutting edge' of achieving, overcoming the challenge, a risk worth taking.  This makes for an exciting life.    

Isaiah Chapter Six

It was in the year that King Uzziah died that I saw the creator,

Seated on a high throne, with billowing robes filling the chamber.

In attendance were mighty and strange figures; people with six wings.

Two wings covered their face, two their feet, and they flew with the third.

Together they sung an awesome song of praise to the creator.

“Great, Mighty, Perfect is the creator,

Every part of the earth is filled with this glory.”

As they spoke, the building shook terribly and from its foundations smoke rose up.

I cried out

“my life is over, I have seen perfection, and I am wretched and contaminated.

I am from a people who do wrong.  Surely I cannot see the creator and live?”

 

Then one of the strange beasts flew to the centre of the room to a great fire of burning coals. 

The beast took tongs and picked up a coal,

Coming over to me and gently touched the coal to my lips.

I then hear say:

“See this coal; it has touched your lips.  Now your imperfections are removed. 

You are made clean as new.”

 

The creator surveyed the whole world and asked,

“Who can I send as a messenger to these people in their need?”

 

And I stood up and said

“Here I am, Send me.”

And the creator replied,

“yes, you go, but be aware, these people will hear, but they will not understand.

They will watch, but learn nothing.

They will see with their eyes, but turn away from healing.”

Continue until all their towns are empty, their houses deserted.

The land turned to waste.

But a remnant will endure, a stump, a terebinth.

This is the hope that remains.”

PRAYER:  May I be ready to hear you and obey your call.