“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
Tilting my head to get a better view out of the window, I marvel at the setting sun, luminescent against the expanse of fluffy cotton clouds. Suspended above the clouds as my flight glides seemingly effortlessly through the “feather canyons” toward the evanescent sun, I cannot help but be amazed at God’s celestial handiwork.
From below, clouds can be menacing and threatening as they cover and darken the sky. Yet above the clouds, the sun shines and the sea of clouds curl and swirl their fluffy waves across the elusive horizon. Joni Mitchell’s timeless song, From Both Sides, Now, alludes to these two sides of the clouds as the refrain “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides, now” dances through my mind. What can we learn from this heavenly creation?
We are living in times of uncertainty and fear. Climate change poses an existential threat. White Christian nationalism endangers our democracy here in the US and around the globe. Gun violence snuffs out life every day. Divisiveness and vitriol roil the spheres of our politics and our relationships.
Fear is a normal emotional response to a real or perceived threat of impending danger. Fear’s purpose is to warn us of danger. But when the nightly news instills fear in us repeatedly, fear becomes the norm. This hyped, exaggerated fear threatens to dominate our thoughts and emotions.
At this time of year, we celebrate the birth of the Infant Jesus. It is easy to lose sight of Jesus’ mission and purpose among all the glitter and gifts. It is also easy to imagine the Baby Jesus lying in a manger and ignore His purpose in being born of human flesh.
Jesus, in all His glorious divinity, steps out of the heavenly clouds and into the manger of earthly humanity to show us how to love and how to overcome fear. Many times, Jesus tells His followers not to fear. He is empathetic to their plight in a world of Roman oppression. His love compels him to first enter this fearful and difficult world as a baby in a stable and ultimately to teach how to fear less and love more.
As the prophet Isaiah hints, salvation is the opposite of fear. When we trust in and live by God’s love, we are saved from fear. We can live unafraid. His perfect love casts out all fear. Fear does not have the final say in our lives.
Jesus’ concept of salvation includes wholeness in the present. Wholeness implies a lack of irrational fear. When He heals the sick, the blind, the lame, and the leper, He restores people to physical health. But more importantly, He restores their soul, making them whole and allowing them to be part of society again, no longer afraid of being shunned or ignored.
We are saved from fear by trusting that His way of love and healing will ultimately win. He is in the business of saving lives in the present as well as souls for all eternity.
In a time of horrendous Roman oppression, He taught His disciples how to live a new way, one of love, and one that ushers in the kingdom of heaven on earth. When Jesus says the kingdom of God is within them, He means that His kingdom is possible in the here and now. He shows His followers how to be free from living in fear, free from the fear of oppression, and free from injustice, where all live together in perfect harmony. Although there were times when His disciples were rightly afraid, they learned to live out of love. They shared what they had; they took care of each other. When we love like Jesus did, love and peace reign. This is the kingdom of heaven on earth.
The religious ruling class and the Roman government were threatened by this new and better way to live that upset their apple carts of power, greed, and control. As a result, they lynched Him. But they could not squelch the power of love.
Perhaps both sides of love are at work here: one side that provides salvation and wholeness and the other side that casts out fear. And maybe if we truly believe in the power of love by loving our enemies as well as our neighbors, we can bring about the kingdom of heaven here on earth.
It might mean deciding not to vilify our political enemies and instead, showing them love and empathy. Choosing love over hate breaks down fear and barriers.
Maybe love will spur us on to action, to stand up for the marginalized, to rectify injustices, to reverse climate change, and to seek civic actions that support our fragile democracy. By doing so, we can work out of love to bring about changes to the very things of which we are afraid.
From the manger to the cross, Jesus teaches us how to love one another and how to live out our lives in love. We do not need to fear.
Perhaps the clouds do teach us another tune. Perhaps they are indeed both sides, now. Maybe it is not just an illusion, as the song goes, but we really can know clouds, love, and life. Without fear.
Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself to be born as a helpless infant in a smelly stable. But You did not stay there. Your teachings changed the world and continue transforming it into Your heaven on earth, through love. May we love You with all our being, love our neighbors as ourselves, and love even our enemies. For Your sake, as Love personified. Amen.
Text and photographs copyright © 2023 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from above the clouds with the setting sun.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe. Subscribers receive an email each month that includes the post with the lead photo as well as bonus photos not posted on the website. Email addresses are never sold or shared.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Tilting my head to get a better view out of the window, I marvel at the setting sun, luminescent against the expanse of fluffy cotton clouds. Suspended above the clouds as my flight glides seemingly effortlessly through the “feather canyons” toward the evanescent sun, I cannot help but be amazed at God’s celestial handiwork.
From below, clouds can be menacing and threatening as they cover and darken the sky. Yet above the clouds, the sun shines and the sea of clouds curl and swirl their fluffy waves across the elusive horizon. Joni Mitchell’s timeless song, From Both Sides, Now, alludes to these two sides of the clouds as the refrain “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides, now” dances through my mind. What can we learn from this heavenly creation?
We are living in times of uncertainty and fear. Climate change poses an existential threat. White Christian nationalism endangers our democracy here in the US and around the globe. Gun violence snuffs out life every day. Divisiveness and vitriol roil the spheres of our politics and our relationships.
Fear is a normal emotional response to a real or perceived threat of impending danger. Fear’s purpose is to warn us of danger. But when the nightly news instills fear in us repeatedly, fear becomes the norm. This hyped, exaggerated fear threatens to dominate our thoughts and emotions.
At this time of year, we celebrate the birth of the Infant Jesus. It is easy to lose sight of Jesus’ mission and purpose among all the glitter and gifts. It is also easy to imagine the Baby Jesus lying in a manger and ignore His purpose in being born of human flesh.
Jesus, in all His glorious divinity, steps out of the heavenly clouds and into the manger of earthly humanity to show us how to love and how to overcome fear. Many times, Jesus tells His followers not to fear. He is empathetic to their plight in a world of Roman oppression. His love compels him to first enter this fearful and difficult world as a baby in a stable and ultimately to teach how to fear less and love more.
As the prophet Isaiah hints, salvation is the opposite of fear. When we trust in and live by God’s love, we are saved from fear. We can live unafraid. His perfect love casts out all fear. Fear does not have the final say in our lives.
Jesus’ concept of salvation includes wholeness in the present. Wholeness implies a lack of irrational fear. When He heals the sick, the blind, the lame, and the leper, He restores people to physical health. But more importantly, He restores their soul, making them whole and allowing them to be part of society again, no longer afraid of being shunned or ignored.
We are saved from fear by trusting that His way of love and healing will ultimately win. He is in the business of saving lives in the present as well as souls for all eternity.
In a time of horrendous Roman oppression, He taught His disciples how to live a new way, one of love, and one that ushers in the kingdom of heaven on earth. When Jesus says the kingdom of God is within them, He means that His kingdom is possible in the here and now. He shows His followers how to be free from living in fear, free from the fear of oppression, and free from injustice, where all live together in perfect harmony. Although there were times when His disciples were rightly afraid, they learned to live out of love. They shared what they had; they took care of each other. When we love like Jesus did, love and peace reign. This is the kingdom of heaven on earth.
The religious ruling class and the Roman government were threatened by this new and better way to live that upset their apple carts of power, greed, and control. As a result, they lynched Him. But they could not squelch the power of love.
Perhaps both sides of love are at work here: one side that provides salvation and wholeness and the other side that casts out fear. And maybe if we truly believe in the power of love by loving our enemies as well as our neighbors, we can bring about the kingdom of heaven here on earth.
It might mean deciding not to vilify our political enemies and instead, showing them love and empathy. Choosing love over hate breaks down fear and barriers.
Maybe love will spur us on to action, to stand up for the marginalized, to rectify injustices, to reverse climate change, and to seek civic actions that support our fragile democracy. By doing so, we can work out of love to bring about changes to the very things of which we are afraid.
From the manger to the cross, Jesus teaches us how to love one another and how to live out our lives in love. We do not need to fear.
Perhaps the clouds do teach us another tune. Perhaps they are indeed both sides, now. Maybe it is not just an illusion, as the song goes, but we really can know clouds, love, and life. Without fear.
Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself to be born as a helpless infant in a smelly stable. But You did not stay there. Your teachings changed the world and continue transforming it into Your heaven on earth, through love. May we love You with all our being, love our neighbors as ourselves, and love even our enemies. For Your sake, as Love personified. Amen.
Text and photographs copyright © 2023 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from above the clouds with the setting sun.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe. Subscribers receive an email each month that includes the post with the lead photo as well as bonus photos not posted on the website. Email addresses are never sold or shared.
A NOTE ON SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matthew 22:37-40). The Christian faith boils down to these two precepts.
Social justice puts that love into action by helping individuals who are oppressed, mistreated, or suffering, and by pursuing ways to dismantle systems of oppression. How we treat others, particularly those less powerful in society than ourselves, matters (Matthew 25:31-46).
Racial justice is one aspect of social justice. Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
RSS Feed