To ransom a slave you gave away your Son

The power of this holy night
dispels all evil, washes guilt away,
restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,

and humbles earthly pride. 

Hope everyone had a fabulous Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

Mine worked out to be one of those years when it all played out in a very real way - Abraham's love for God, which he proved to be above all things - even his own flesh and blood -- and of course this same tapestry of the Father's love for us and Christ's love for us and the Father.

I generally go through my recipes and commit my grocery shopping list in my head.   It is a walk on the wild side but it's a rare occasion that I mess up and forget something.   I arrived at the grocery store on Saturday and I was 20 feet from the entrance when I got a text message from a young woman (now 28) who was part of my high school youth ministry group. Her 23 year-old brother died early Saturday morning.       We've kept in touch through the years (she's actually now a youth minister herself), and  I bump into her Dad a few days a month on the commute into town and we talk about family, the Church, etc., and so it was upsetting and a shock.   Took me 20 minutes to pull myself together and then try to remember my grocery list I think I'm too smart to write down.

Nobody ever wants to be in the position of a loving surrendering a child back to God.   I'm of the belief that we play our own hand in life, nature and personal judgment and choices, genetics aid or impede our health and survival.  Of course, the devil is right there -- as is the Holy Spirit but I don't see God as playing us like Ken and Barbie dolls and when death happens, it is by His hand.   Nevertheless, having a child return to God and lovingly surrendering is  a crucible that has destroyed many a relationship with God.   Was it Mary or Martha who confronted Christ for his failure to intercede when He waited two days before coming to Lazarus?     I think it was Martha, and Christ said back to her that it was all to glorify God.

God's intervention in sickness and death is far too complicated to justice in a blog post.   Suffice it to say when it hits close to home, we're either in the spiritual place where we can cling to Christ and the Father who know all too well what sacrificial love is like to live out -- or we blame God and harden our hearts.    The family is clinging to Christ on the rollercoaster.  Please keep them in your prayers - and of course for the repose of the soul.