A House

A House
Originally uploaded by auntjojo

I can't believe I forgot to post last night. I took several pictures throughout the day. Knew what I was going to write about. But when I got home from teaching I simply forgot. I am so sorry. I have learned, however, that when I am in the middle of a discipline, the best thing to do when I have messed up is to just keep going. Don't dwell on the mistake. The point is to develop a habit. So, here is yesterday's post.

The Psalmist this week cries out, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." (Ps. 27.4). The temple is a place of beauty, safety, and justice. I have always loved this imagery and the idea of being a simple doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. To be honest, for me the image held the possibility of escape from the troubles and responsibilities of this world. Yesterday, however, I was led to reflect on the fact that we are now the houses of the Lord. Our bodies are God's temple and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. It is in our bodies that we are to find beauty (the image of God?), safety (a healthy self-image?), and justice (freedom in Christ?). For God has made a home there. Rather than fleeing ourselves, we are to embrace God's presence within us. The disciplines of Lent are not about escaping our bodies, but about freeing them from the unhealthy sinful practices that ensnare us body, mind, and soul, so that we can live into the full freedom that comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

(On a side note, many of my thoughts on this journey are coming from Jurgen Moltmann's The Spirit of Life, the text for the theology course I am currently teaching.)