Broken rocks, broken lives & a broken body.
I met Jesus today. He was staring at me through the eyes and smile of a homeless woman. I awoke at 5:30am to have some coffee, prayer and meditation before I headed off to the City for the homeless shelter. Rather than waiting for the folks to join us, a priest and I took the church to the shelter.
We took the church to the shelter and in return the folks in the shelter showed us Jesus. It is strange that every time I look for Jesus I find him in the broken lives of people in this world. Don’t get me wrong, I worship God in the local parish. I am talking about Jesus. I drive past him lying on the street on my way to church sometimes.
I encounter Jesus lingering on the outskirts and fringes of town walking, talking, and healing the broken, hurt, and afraid. Like the woman at the well and the one ready to be stoned to death, today’s chapel service with those women reminded me that Jesus is present in our suffering.
Once in a small group the spiritual director laid several stones on the ground. Each person was to choose a stone and describe why he/she chose the stone. As I examined my stone I realize that while each stone was a different shape, size and color-- each stone had small cracks—it was the crack that made all the stones alike. That is when I realized it is our color and shape as people that may make us different, but when we look closely at our lives we all have cracks in our lives. It is our brokenness that makes us the same.
We like to focus on our colors and shapes and not our brokenness. Why do we attempt to disguise or hide our brokenness? Today, no one tried to hide for we couldn’t. Perhaps that is why Jesus could be found hanging out there, no one was trying to hide or perhaps we were at a place we couldn't hide. You are never too broken for God. God is there, go ahead and show him your wounds and invite him to touch you.
Today, I thought I was taking church to the folks at the shelter but instead they brought Jesus to me. As I stood holding hands in a circle reciting the Lord’s Prayer and singing Amazing Grace we entered into each other’s brokenness. We were one with Christ. We each held hands with Jesus and were reminded of who were are in God’s eyes.
Yolanda, this is my Body which is given for you. Shameka, this is my Blood which is shed for you.
Rick, take and eat... drink this all of you... do this for the remembrance of me.
8 Comments:
you're never too broken for God.
Some days this is hard to hold onto. When I look at all the pieces, the shambles I've made of my life...I wonder how God will ever put it together again.
On the other hand...living into the fullness of brokenness is quite an adventure.
Thanks for giving me opportunity to reexamine the pieces.
blessings and grace.
this is beautiful Rick..thanks for sharing that experience with us.
Rick, your humility and openness to the most broken of humanity always humbles me. I wish I was where you are, but this is one area where I really have some work to do.
I can accept that homeless, the addicts, the prostitutes are God's kids - and I can see Jesus in them. But I have to admit that the last place I would choose to spend time would be caring for street people. I guess I'm still just that selfish and self-centered...though I'd rather have my fingernails removed than admit it to you, or anyone else for that matter...
The good news, of course, is that God puts people like you in my life to remind me just what a piece of work I still can be. And that, I guess, is the very, very beginning of wisdom. Thanks for the life lesson this mornin', brother.
Your illustration about the cracks in the rocks is beautiful.
We need more followers of Christ who aren't ashamed of their humanity, their mistakes.... the cracks in their rock. Who would ever look at us pretending to be perfect, putting on our "plastic happy christian sunday going to meeting" face and say, "oooh, I want to be like them"?!?!? People can tell when we are being fake. They can tell when we are being real.
Thanks for being real.
i often say that God meets us right where we are, right this minute; we meet others right at the wound - theirs and ours. to see Jesus in everyone we meet? i pray for that, daily. i also pray they see less of me and more of Him.
great post. thank you.
this post reminds me of how i used to not like Christ for everything that He wasn't and how i hopefully love Him now for everything that He truly is...
ignorance may be bliss, but done willfully kills from the inside out...
"It is our brokenness that makes us the same." - exactly - that why those who judge are the same ones who won't reveal or own their brokenness - they can't stand the part of the 'sameness'. really great post rick.
Oh, Rick. How beautiful.
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