January 29, 2012
Jesus' First Words: The Kingdom of God is Near
Rev. Matt Gough
Matthew 4:17-22
Luke 4:14-21
When we hear the word repent, we often think of changing some errant behavior. If that’s the case, then there is a cacophony of calls to repentance coming at us each day from multiple sources. Perhaps, when Jesus said it he was calling for a turning in our lives that was far deeper and meaningful than a changing of our ways. He may have just been urging us to turn around and be surprised by the very presence of God. When for too long I don't go deep enough into the woods to see them, they begin to enter my dreams. Yes, there they are, in the pinewoods of my inner life. I want to live a life full of modesty and praise. Each hoof of each animal makes the sign of a heart as it touches then lifts away from the ground. Unless you believe that heaven is very near, how will you find it? Their eyes are pools in which one would be content, on any summer afternoon, to swim away through the door of the world. Then, love and its blessing. Then: heaven.
"Faces of Dear" Mary Oliver ©2005