Tender, Wise, Strong

 

As we enter Holy Week 2021 these ancient words from Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) resonate with my soul.

"It is the cup that thou didst drink, Lord Jesus, more than all else that renders Thee love-worthy; it is the work of our redemption that supremely claims our love. He put up with people who tried to catch Him in His talk, carped at His actions, mocked His suffering and even upbraided Him in death. This love of His is tender, wise and strong. Tender in that He took on Him our flesh; careful and wise in that He guarded against sin; and strong in that He suffered death. I trust myself entirely to Him who willed to save me, knew the way to do it, and had the power to carry out the work. He has sought me out and called me by His grace."

My lectionary words of the week:

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29     cornerstone

Mark 11:1-11                  hosanna

Isaiah 50: 4-9                  tongue

Psalm 31: 9-16                times

Philippians 2:5-11           exploited

Mark 15:1-20                  release

Mark 15:21-39                forsaken

In the Midst

JESUS IS APT TO COME, into the very midst of life at its most real and inescapable. Not in a blaze of unearthly light, not in the midst of a sermon, not in the throes of some kind of religious daydream, but . . . at supper time, or walking along a road. This is the element that all the stories about Christ's return to life have in common: Mary waiting at the empty tomb and suddenly turning around to see somebody standing there—someone she thought at first was the gardener; all the disciples except Thomas hiding out in a locked house, and then his coming and standing in the midst; and later, when Thomas was there, his coming again and standing in the midst; Peter taking his boat back after a night at sea, and there on the shore, near a little fire of coals, a familiar figure asking, "Children, have you any fish?"; the two men at Emmaus who knew him in the breaking of the bread. He never approached from on high, but always in the midst, in the midst of people, in the midst of real life and the questions that real life asks.  (Fredrick Buechner)

The following quote/words come from the last book/novel by Pearl S. Buck (d.1973) which I am in the midst of reading on my Kindle reader. It is titled The Eternal Wonder. The main character of the story is recalling some teaching given to him by his father and deals with relationships with people. You may or may not like the concept shared but it is worth pondering.

"The world is made up of many different kinds of human beings, son, and while you, yourself, and only you, can be responsible for the kind of person you are to be, you must, however, get to know as many different types as you can, for these are the basic components of life as we know it today. Because there are thieves and because you know does not mean that you must steal. Because there are cannibals and prostitutes does not mean it's all right for you to eat human flesh or sell your own body, but the fact that it is not right for you need not stop you from knowing those who do or from trying to understand why they do so. You will be many times hurt, for you have a deep appreciation of beauty and order in all that you do and people, alas, are not always beautiful or orderly. They will not always be what you would have them be, so be content if at least they can be honest with you and you can learn to understand them as they are. You must hold yourself apart and be the kind of person you want to be. In this way, someone -- somewhere-- will come along to prove to you that all things of beauty must be good, and when that person does come along you will know him, for you will have known many others before, and you will be ready for the lasting relationship that is in itself, man's deepest satisfaction."