I am made of the earth
and of its Creator
flesh and spirit
human, divine
impermanent and eternal.

I will die
and before I die
I will have died and risen again
hundreds of times.

On the Saturday
between Good Friday
and Easter Sunday,
I lay awake in the tomb
and contemplated my death.

My body will die
but my spirit will not
and yet, I will need my mind
(which is part of my body)
to know that. 
And when my mind ceases to be,
my knowing of that will also cease.

Then where will I be?

I felt myself
fall
out of my grasp

and found myself

held
in the knowing of Another.

My being doesn’t depend
on my knowing
but on my being known

and I am 
–we all are– 
always
known.

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
–Colossians 3:3 (NIV)

∗ ∗ ∗

Eastertide Reflection 1

I spent Easter Saturday at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Langley listening and meditating on the words of Heather Ruce as she reflected on the teachings of Cynthia Bourgeault. Heather invited us into four postures. These are inspiring my Easter season posts.

The first posture is to ground ourselves in two natures–one foot in the ordinary and the other in God’s kingdom, one foot in what we see and the other in what is unseen. We are both flesh and spirit. Living in this duality is challenging. We tend to lean one way or the other. Jesus, in John 15, invites us to abide in both, to find God inside and around us.

We are both the keepers of our days and ones kept by a Love that enlivens us. In Psalm 4:8, David writes, “In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Waking or sleeping, we dwell in God’s love.

Credits and References:
“‘Just right!’ she sighed.” by Steve Corey. Used with permission.
“Faith” (Detail from a window, showing Faith holding the lamp of the Spirit’s illumination by Burne Jones in Buscot parish church in Oxfordshire, England) Photo by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.. Used with permission.
“Lovely Feet”  by Amancay Maahs. Used with permission.

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2023.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2023.  http://www.estherhizsa.com