As I mentioned last week. The theme of the articles for 2012 was “Building Bridges.” That theme’s basis was in the by-line “making Jesus accessible by being with God.” I see the theme of “Embrace” as a continuation of building bridges. When we make a connection or gain understanding, the next step is to embrace, fully engaging with who or what we find on the other end of the bridge. 

We often find ourselves in the process of building bridges. Here are a my thoughts along these lines from our reading in Genesis this week.

(Genesis 1:1-2) God’s Spirit was active at creation. When things had not yet taken shape and creation was a place of chaos*, Spirit was there, moving (hovering) with care and tenderness. When God makes us new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), there is still chaos in our lives, and the Spirit is there. The Holy Spirit presides over our chaos, acting in concert with us to transform that chaos into the image of Christ. There are deep waters there. This work of the Spirit in our lives takes time, but God is not put off or worried. He is there, waiting.  He abides with and in us. My prayer is that we would respond to his moving, embracing what we find, so that we would see the new creation begin to take shape and the image of Christ being more fully realized in our lives.

Grace and peace,

Brook

* The Hebrew for “formless” also depicts chaos and desolation.