Seeing Things Two Ways

Thursday, May 25, 2006 -- Week of 6 Easter -- Ascension Day

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 963)
Psalms 8, 47 (morning) // 24, 96 (afternoon)
Daniel 7:9-14
Hebrews 2:5-18
Matthew 28:16-20

A consistent part of the biblical message is the appeal for us to see things from a divine perspective. Daniel's visions seek to inspire Israel during the oppression of Antiochus IV. Antiochus is only a "little horn... and a mouth speaking arrogantly." The heavenly vision sees another mortal, a son of Adam, who will be presented to the Ancient One. To him will be given "dominion and glory and kingship... everlasting." Therefore, don't despair. God is righting wrong. Underneath the earthly misery is the movement of divine glory.

What are mere human beings that God would be mindful of them?, asks Hebrews. We are remarkable, comes the answer. Made lower than the angels for a little while, God has actually "crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." It doesn't look like that yet, but the resurrection of Jesus is our foretaste. In him all glory is ours. In him suffering and death change.

Hebrews opens proclaiming the "the Son" whom angels worship, whose throne is forever, whose years will never end. Then today's reading tells us that he "had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest" on our behalf. He has assumed our mortality, tasted suffering and death for everyone. He has raised mortal life into heaven. Everything is changed.

We are invited into an altered state of consciousness. Earthly life is real and filled with the glory of God. Life is hard, suffering is painful, death is inevitable. But underneath the surface, everything is vibrating with the glory of God. All is being taken up into the divine life, including the oppression of tyrants like Antiochus and the torture of the innocent like Jesus. We can see the bitterness and take courage against it with confidence.

That kind of human empowerment moves from the specific to the universal in the Ascension of Jesus. In his earthly life he shows us how to live, motivated by fearless, vulnerable loving compassion. While he was with his disciples in the flesh, his presence mediated that divine spirit, but did so in a limited way. He was here, not there. When he was in Galilee, he was not in Jerusalem.

Now, our collect tells us, he has "ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: ...he abides with his Church on earth." That dominion and glory and everlasting kingship is universally present, with us "always, to the end of the age."

So we can look at everything with new eyes. All is transfigured. Everything is as it appears -- material, created, full of ambiguity and suffering. Everything is more than what appears -- filled with glory, destined to be taken up into the divine life.

Most of us are able to see that in a baby's smile or a sunset. If our eyes are open, we can even see it in a hazelnut (Julian of Norwich) or in our kitchen pots and pans (Brother Lawrence).

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas