Core strength is what we all need. Bruce Lee got it right; My strength comes from the abdomen. Its the center of gravity and source of real power. This Sunday I reflect on the center, the source of real power. Enjoy! “I am” sayings describe who Jesus is in the Gospel of John. Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I am.” He adds, “I am the way, the truth, and life” and “I am the resurrection and the life.” These “I am” statements flesh out the opening of the gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” Life and light are connected in the Gospel of John. We read: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The “I am” sayings are meant to epitomize the reality of Jesus Christ. There are others, and they are just as significant. “I am the bread of life,” “I am the gate,” “I am the good shepherd,” and, last but not least, “I am the vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” Jesus fleshes out this last statement by adding, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” He goes on to say the most important thing he has to say to those who would follow him, “Abide in me.” “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Jesus is saying that he is meant to be your core strength. As any life coach will tell you, there is nothing more important to physical and mental health than to have as much core strength as possible. On Friday night I went to Chicago with my wife Paola, my daughter Anna, and Gabby, an exchange student from South Africa, to see the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of “The Sound of Music.” We got to hear amazing songs all over again. “The hills are alive with the sound of music.” “Edelweiss.” One of my all-time favorites: “Climb every mountain.” But you can’t climb every mountain, not even one, without a tremendous amount of core strength. This is where Jesus comes in. He invites you to make him your core strength. Core strength refers to the muscles deep in your abdomen, in your thighs and shoulders and upper arms. Core strength allows you to do to be flat on your back and sit straight up again. Core strength allows you to twist and turn and lift weight at the same time. Core strength allows you to climb every mountain and ford every stream. Light and bread, resurrection and life, the gate and the good shepherd who restores the soul – we need all these things to climb every mountain and ford every stream. Jesus summarizes it all with a powerful sequence of images. “I am the vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” He adds, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” Then he admonishes us, “Abide in me.” Jesus is the vine, the roots and the trunk. We are the branches. Together, and only if we stay attached to the roots and the trunk, there is a foundation and support for the leaves and the grapes. Jesus is our core strength. We are meant to convey that core strength that causes leaves and grapes to flourish. God is a gardener who has planted a vine. The vine is his own word made flesh. A vine produces grapes from which wine is made. Wine, according to the Bible, is meant to gladden our hearts. There you have it. It’s all about joy. In the long run, core strength is essential to sustaining joy. Without it, we lack energy. Without it, we are always tired. Without it, we suffer boredom. With it, we can climb every mountain, ford every stream. And even when your body fails you, your spirit will be strong. Even when your body is falling apart, you will be held together by a core strength. Abide is a wonderful verb. This is about allowing Jesus to be home for us, to live in him. Abide in me, he says, as I abide in you. If we could just let these words wash over us, and cleanse us from the things that keep from goodness, truth, and beauty. Katie Munnik puts it this way: “Live in God. Make your home in God that wherever you go, you will be sheltered. Live at home in God, as God lives at home in you.” There are reasons why the Gospel is hard for us. First of all, we want to be independent and make our own choices. The branches in a vine do not do that. More exactly, we make choices all the time, which is why vines and the vine of God are all tangled and messy and it’s hard to know the why of that tangle, the wherefore of that gnarl. The whys of our twists and turns will always be a mystery yet to be revealed. But God is the one who brings good out of evil. God is the one who shapes a pattern out of our confusion. I am the vine, you are the branches. And the God of us all is the one who prunes us. Life is like that. Even a hard-boiled atheist knows that. A believer sees things this way. God takes things away from us that would hurt us. God takes things away from us that would make us unable to bear fruit. As any life coach will tell you, we need to be fit. The more you put Jesus and all that he stands for at the center of life, the fitter you will be. By the way, you can be plump and fit at the same time. Just saying! It’s all about core strength. This is the word of the Lord. Praise be to God.
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 12:36:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015