Against the Grain

Scripture lessons: Mark 1.9-15

And a voice came from heaven, “You are
my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Mark 1.11 (New Revised Standard Version)

In the life of the church a baptism is an occasion for great joy; it announces the beginning of a journey into the many possibilities of Christian love and worship. In the words of the poet, Christopher Frye, the baptized person embarks upon an “exploration into God.”

The baptism of Jesus was a momentous occasion in his life of faith, an inauguration of his work as the pioneer of a new society in God’s name. However, it may have been an unsettling time, for soon thereafter, John the Baptist was arrested, and Jesus’ own ministry would be marked by resistance from religious and political leaders.

There is an African-American spiritual that says, ‘Wade in the water; God’s a-gonna trouble the water.’ These words remind us that our spiritual journey, begun in baptism, will sometimes involve living in troubled waters. How can it be otherwise? We are called to live against the grain: to love rather than hate, to understand rather than judge, and to forgive rather than get even.

God needs us to live against the grain, but let us never forget that God loves us, and that God’s name for us is also Beloved. To hear that name spoken in the depths of our lives, and in the midst of troubled waters, is nothing less than sheer grace.

Prayer: O God of tenderness and care, we give you thanks that your love is steadfast and unflinching; help us to love as you do, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

~ by Rev. Dr. Edward Horstmann on January 11, 2007.