Friday, March 25, 2011

My dearest God,

As I stood singing in the choir on Sunday morning, I looked up and gazed upon the large cross suspended from the ceiling. Although I recognized it as a symbol of death, I noticed something else. Each line of the cross was pointing outward from the center. It was if I could hear your own son saying, "Go out and share your own good news with the world."

Good news, ah yes, good news. I realized my good news is your good news. It is simply the good news of faith in me, my story of you at work in and through my life. What is good news after all, if it isn't being shared with others. The emphasis is on you, Good Lord, not me, the work you are doing.

After years of pilgrimage, faith in the journey of life, I have come to the awareness that good news happens when any of us lives life with you, when we love and serve our neighbor, when we sing your praise and point to One whose love brought us into existence. It is good news every time I give credit to you for joy that emerges out of sorrow, hope out of despair, faith out of fear.

As I looked at the cross from varying angles, I knew it was really saying, "I love you, I love you, I love you." The good news is love from the center, loving going out into the hinterland, the cities, towns, villages, even the tiniest spaces on the planet.

Thank you,
Gracious God,
for your
ever-flowing,
unconditional love.
Thank you
for your cross
that points
us outward
reminding us
to get
to work
sharing what
we know,
what we
have experienced
in your world.
We have
no news
if we
do not
have your
good news.

Love, Andrea