The 5th Sunday of Lent, Year A
Scriptures: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; John 11:1-45; Romans 8:6-11
Key Verse: “I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.” ~ Ezekiel 37:14
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Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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How do we know that we are getting old? When you reach fifty, it isn’t hard to come up with a list of signs of aging. About six years ago, after my brain surgery, my skin type changed from combination to dry. Then I began to see visible fine lines and wrinkles on my cheeks. I presumed that these were the symptoms of perimenopause. And about three years ago, the dryness of my skin got worse. My hair began falling out like crazy. That was when I realized that something wasn’t right. I couldn’t even stay awake in the middle of the day and felt tired easily because I often felt dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseous.
After having a blood test done, I was told by my family doctor that I had microcytic anemia caused by iron deficiency. Besides taking iron supplement, having an iron rich diet, using special shampoo for hair loss and thinning and special skincare products, I changed my daily routines. I shortened my working hours and scheduled as few meetings as possible. I exercised daily for at least thirty minutes but rested whenever I felt sleepy. After more than two years of effort, my iron level was finally up.
In our lives, we often learn how much we truly have until it’s gone or how much we miss something until we have it again. There are many things in our lives that we take for granted, such as having a healthy mind and body or having stable and nurturing relationships. In contrast, there are also things that we never would have thought of having. For example, animals born and raised in a hostile environment and being abused wouldn’t understand trust and love, or children born with disabilities wouldn’t be able to experience social life fully. However, by being adopted by a loving family, animals will soon enjoy a new way of living, learn to trust their owners and show affection. And disabled children may receive medical treatements or helpful interventions to enjoy their social life better as they learn a new way of being and living.
Life can be pretty messy because of the differences of values and purposes that we were raised and taught to believe. Life can be also beautiful when we understand that we all have our own dry seasons out of compassion. A dry season of life is like a valley filled with dry bones. It could be a time of sadness, heartbreak, loneliness, sickness. They come and go. However, our different values, purposes, and occasional dry seasons in our lives together shouldn’t change the fact of what we have and who we are in Christ, our Savior Jesus. That is the Good News Jesus has brought to us and made us be part of that Good News.
Because of Jesus, both our individual and communal lives have been restored fully just as the life of Lazarus who was set free from a dark cave that separated him from his loved ones. Because of the reunion with our loved ones, we unbind each other to live a restored life just as Jesus commanded those who mourn and grieve to unbind Lazarus so that he could live his restored life.
Jesus removed two layers of barriers: the stone dividing between life and death and the linen wrapping and hiding our imperfections. For many, it will take willing hearts to step out of their comfort zones to a new way of living and being as children of God. For some, it will take time and patience to listen, to observe, to learn, and to have compassion, and eventually to embrace this new way of living and being as the people of faith. Thanks be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ who defeated eternal death through the cross, a shameful and scandalous cross, so that we may have eternal life. Amen.
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May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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Yet, dryness is necessary for us to realize the lack of the nutrients and moisturizing effects of grace in our lives. We live in teh tension of death and life, light and darkness, health and illness, faith and spiritual disorientation. "Jesus Christ certainly defeated eternal death through the cross, a shameful and scandalous cross, so that we may have eternal life. "