September 7, 2018
This coming Sunday's gospel lesson is one where Jesus performs two different miracles. The second miracle is the healing of a deaf man in which Jesus says to him, "Ephphatha" - "be opened."
At this time of year, it seems there is much we are called to be open to. Our kids need to be open to new school years, new classmates, and new teachers. As adults we need to be open to new schedules and the new challenges they might bring. Here at The Falls Church, we are getting ready to open up a new program year...one that features new staff, new classes, and new opportunities to grow in faith and as a community. There is so much to be open to!
Jesus' instruction to the deaf man doesn't end with the return of his hearing. Once the man is healed, he is able to listen to the world around him and encounter it in new ways. I think that instruction to be open wasn't just to his ears, it was an instruction on how to live his life.
Be open.
Be open to the world, to other people, to the new possibilities that will come after your life has been touched by Jesus.
In a world that often tells us that we are safer, that we are smarter if we build up protections around ourselves, Jesus' instruction is radically counter-cultural. Be open. Listen. Hear the world around you and the variety of stories Creation has to tell. That kind of openness will transform you, transform our communities, and might just transform the world.
See you Sunday,
Kelly