Every weekday morning at 8:00 a group meets in our church’s fellowship/office building. I love hearing the pre- and post-meeting chatter, as well as the “elevator conversations” around the coffee. I asked one man this morning how he was doing, and he replied, “Oh, pretty good, except around the edges.” When he sensed my puzzled reaction, he added “my hips are not cooperating”. He cited his years working on telephone lines and working with horses. It is the price of aging. One out of every two  persons over the age of 55 has some nagging pain, usually in the back, knees, or “around the edges.” We surrender, hopefully with grace, to that which we are not in control of.

I think that the same imagery applies to our spiritual selves. We are all impacted and affected by what goes on in the world around us. The edges, for the purpose of illustration. That’s the reality we start with. The sufferings and joys take us down the royal road to the center. It is there where God is revealed. It is true even for the most hardened “alpha male”, full of machismo, who does not think they need anything “touchy-feely.” We have to leave the comfortable circumference in our journey to the core.  Like Jonah, be in the belly of the whale for a time, waiting until we are spit up on a new shore to understand our call, our baptismal vocation.

            The dark moments of the soul teach us well, even if not all our questions have ready, easy answers. We are to be open and receptive to God’s transforming work within, not on the safe perimeters. Our souls then rest secure, confident in the unconditional love takes us on the journey from the edge to the center. Maybe your hips will still ache, but God’s grace and mercy will help you endure.

Pastor Art