Is that Eliot at the end? Or a play on him? I vaguely remember a line like that.
Very thoughtful post. This Christian life of ours is no simple life, but it reaches towards what is good... for us and the world.
Marcus
· 2 years ago
That is Eliot at the end, and a play on him. "I should be glad of another death" is the last line of "Journey of the Magi." The paragraph before has a lot of Eliot too--more play than quotes.
The Christian life reaches toward what is good--but too often I have forgotten what true goodness is. I mistakenly seek my own comfort or the comfort of the one's I love.
Marcus
· 2 years ago
Ahhh. I just noticed that my links disappeared somehow. I added the links to the poem back in.
I'm about to teach this blog as a Bible study this morning. Here's hoping it goes well.
Charity Singleton
· 2 years ago
Hope the Bible study went well this morning.
Good points, all. Perhaps the physical life -- the constant march toward death (even in growth) -- is an apt metaphor here. Taking up our crosses and dying to ourselves every day is painful.
Praise God for the promise of resurrection -- both physically and spiritually we will be lifted up.
Marcus
· 2 years ago
I'm told it went well, but it felt flat to me. It is a bit of a downer lesson, I admit.
I love that you used the phrase "taking up our crosses." In the verses I listed at least, the Greek word, hupsoo, for being exalted or prospered literally means "to lift up." Jesus uses the same word twice in John 3:14. Moses lifted up the snake in the same way that the Son of Man will be lifted up. Here the word that often means magnify or grow or prosper--takes on connotations of death and sacrifice.
The difference between taking up your cross and being lifted up on a cross might be something to think about. One is our choice, the other is God's.
All Comments
Very thoughtful post. This Christian life of ours is no simple life, but it reaches towards what is good... for us and the world.
The Christian life reaches toward what is good--but too often I have forgotten what true goodness is. I mistakenly seek my own comfort or the comfort of the one's I love.
I'm about to teach this blog as a Bible study this morning. Here's hoping it goes well.
Good points, all. Perhaps the physical life -- the constant march toward death (even in growth) -- is an apt metaphor here. Taking up our crosses and dying to ourselves every day is painful.
Praise God for the promise of resurrection -- both physically and spiritually we will be lifted up.
I love that you used the phrase "taking up our crosses." In the verses I listed at least, the Greek word, hupsoo, for being exalted or prospered literally means "to lift up." Jesus uses the same word twice in John 3:14. Moses lifted up the snake in the same way that the Son of Man will be lifted up. Here the word that often means magnify or grow or prosper--takes on connotations of death and sacrifice.
The difference between taking up your cross and being lifted up on a cross might be something to think about. One is our choice, the other is God's.