Open Hands

Open Hands

This past Sunday the disciple Peter stopped by for a visit during worship. It seems he was out searching for Jesus and stumbled into our sanctuary.  Why was he searching for Jesus? Because he had a certain image, a certain understanding of God that he was trying to preserve and protect, then Jesus said some things that did not fit that image. It disturbed him. It rattled him. It made him question his faith and God’s mission for the Messiah. Peter was so fixed upon his interpretation of God that he had trouble grasping that there might be another way.  Do you know anybody like Peter? Do you know anybody who believes that God’s ways are all very specifically defined in black or white? Do you know people who, for whatever reason, have trouble seeing all the shades of gray when it comes to God and faith? Do you know people that cling so tightly to a certain notion about God’s way and God’s love that they are unable to grow? Do you know anybody who is stuck? Rev. Sarah Speed wrestles with these questions and the story of Peter from Matthew 16:13-23 when she writes the poem, “Open Hands.” May it give us all something to think about as we try to stretch and grow in our faith and our understanding about God and God’s ways.

Open Hands

We are born with the ability

to wrap our fingers around another,

to hold tight to what we know.

Maybe that’s where the instinct comes from— this clinging,

this sinking, this holding on.

Maybe that’s why Peter cries, “Never!”

when Jesus must leave.

From the very beginning we’ve known how to hold tight.

So I pray:

open up my hands.

Uncurl my fingers one by one.

Loosen the grip that I hold unyielding.

Remind me that birds must fly

and children must grow and leaves must fall.

And even though we are born with the ability

to hold tight, we can learn how to love

with open hands.

 

Peace, Josie