Today, January 3, 2015, is the tenth day of Christmas. The Episcopal tradition celebrates twelve days of Christmas, starting with Christmas day and culminating with Epiphany. On the twelfth day, the Maji (the wise men), who have been following the star, arrive in Bethlehem and realize the divine nature of the infant Jesus. Here is todays Forward Day by Day meditation: John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. We were visiting the Episcopal Church in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina when we met Rita. She was a striking woman with a strong, squarish face, thick, black hair framing an olive complexion inset with piercing blue eyes. We sat on the lawn drinking yerba maté tea while she told us her story. She worked for the local slaughterhouse. Her job was to drive to the outlying chicken farms, catch the mature chickens, and transport them back to the abattoir for processing. The packing company demanded she not harm even a feather of the chickens, so she had to catch and cage them with extreme care. But the company did not care so much about her, offering her less than a living wage and no proper equipment. I was stunned by the scars on her arms and legs. She explained they were from the chickens that scratched and bit in spite of her gentle handling. It’s a good metaphor. Jesus holds us in his loving arms, and we wiggle and squirm and fight to get away. He has the scars to prove it.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 18:26:04 +0000
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