Re: Imagining

James Cathcart January 05, 2025 0 0

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Ephesians 1: 3-14 (NRSVA)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul speaks about the seal of the Holy Spirit — a sign of the promise, marked on us, that we belong with God. 

If this seal was a literal stamp on our souls, what would it look like? What could the design be? Would everyone’s be the same or would each one be unique? What picture, or symbol, or word could speak so powerfully of God’s love for us?

I suspect no one image or graphic could do the job. But imagine if this stamp contained multitudes. If each time it caught the light it showed us another picture, another glimpse, another instance of God’s love?

You hold it one way and you see morning light falling on ancient rock

and turn it another to see the laughing face of a child

when you look back you see an eagle in a maelstrom of hail and ice

turning it back around you see new shoots breaking out of dry parched land

then in a new light it seems to become a bush ablaze

and then you see the figure of a shepherd, cradling a lamb, a lion sleeping by his side

and then, just as you put it down

and then

just as you are about to turn away

you glimpse the face of God.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit

rekindle

and reignite our imaginations

as we travel

held in your seal.

Amen.