Passover Week

Monday evening started Passover Week. A time to clean your home of yeast and then to offer up a sacrifice to the Lord.  Those who had the blood of the Passover Lamb over their doorposts would be, in fact, "passed over", left untouched by the judgement they deserved.

Only the blood of a pure sacrificial Lamb would do.

A foreshadowing. Of what was to come.

A perfect man. Who, tomorrow, would be sacrificed.

So that I could be "passed over".

Left untouched by the wrath I have deserved.

And instead, wooed to a deeper place in His heart.

This week, I've seen the yeast of my life rise to the surface, resulting in my fears, my control, my shame being on broad display.  It feels extremely vulnerable...all those things I thought I'd dealt with...up close and personal.  Not only sometimes teetering around me but also mocking me, trying to make me believe that once again, there is no hope.

And yet, in the midst of this mocking, in the midst of the darkness, I hear a Heart beating.

The Heart does not say that what I have done is ok or what I have held onto is ok or what I have feared is ok...

but what it tells me instead is "I have made a way for you."

"Then I heard your heart beating..
You were in the darkness, too...
So I stayed in the darkness with you"

And, so, we take a walk to the top of Skull Hill. For what seemed like eternity at the time, we feel. The heaviness, the burden.  All of those things that held me down, held me captive.  We feel.

We walk.

Sharing in my sufferings.

It's like a chaotic kaleidoscope. Everything swirling around. Hurt. Pain. Sin. Grief.

Yet in the midst of it all, the Heartbeat grows louder and louder.

And louder.

Until before I know it, all I hear is the Beat.  No longer the swirling.  No longer the pain. The guilt.  The shame.

And then, I am caught up.

In a vortex.

Of Love. Of peace.

And so starts, a dance.

That cannot be contained.

~And suddenly there was an earthquake! For the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled away the stone, and sat on it.  His face shown like lightning and his clothing was white as snow.

The angel spoke to the women there, "Do not be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn't here; He has risen from the dead, just as He said would happen.  Come, see, where His body was lying."

"And now, go quickly, and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead and He is going ahead of you to Galilee.  You will see Him there.  Remember what I have told you."

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message.  And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them.   And they ran to him, grasped His feet, and worshipped Him." (Matthew 28)~


And so it is with me.  And you.

He is not dead.  He is Alive.  Bringing Health to the dry bones.  Bringing Voice to the voiceless.  Bringing Hope to the hopeless. Bringing Life to the dead.

Happy Passover....


Happy Resurrection Day!


(corresponding song: Cosmic Love by Florence and The Machine)