Consider the lilies, Stanley Spencer

Consider the lilies, Stanley Spencer

The non-verbal communication of Jesus

If the body tells us more than speech what might Jesus' body language communicate to us?

If I were to meditate upon this alone (eg his curled up body, compassionate face, pierced hand), where would that take me?  Following our Questions of Jesus theme of late, we note the questions that arise from our perplexity and irritation, relief or surprise at Jesus's gestures.  We join his disciples, watching his every move, attempting to come to terms with the questions his movements raise within us.

To what am I invited?  Into what space am I welcomed?  Rest, fearlessness, vulnerability, trust perhaps.

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Making room for something wonderful
Making room for something wonderful

He is not here; he has risen...
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy.
Matthew 28:5,8

Being present to grief
Being present to grief

And if, as weeks go round, in the dark of the moon
my spirit darkens and goes out, and soft strange gloom
pervades my movements and my thoughts and words

Shadows, D H Lawrence

Falling with us
Falling with us

He sets his face like flint and takes our place,
Staggers beneath the black weight of us all
And falls with us that he might break our fall.

Malcolm Guite, Sounding the seasons

Mutuality
Mutuality

I know a man of such
mildness and kindness it is trying to
change my life

Mary Oliver, Thirst

To protect and to gather
To protect and to gather

There is a great desire in his heart: a maternal desire to gather a family together. 

Stephen Cottrell

Reading oneself
Reading oneself

Beyond our ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there.

Rumi

Zeal
Zeal

In his body and blood is the wildness of God.  With a passion of love he comes to bring 'fire to the earth'. 

J. Philip Newell

Humility
Humility

Tell me what it means to you to call him Lord.
Anthony de Mello

Inclusions
Inclusions

I bless you,
In the name of the Holy Three, the
Father, the Son and the Sacred Spirit
Celtic Daily Prayer

Like a cat asleep on a chair
Like a cat asleep on a chair

Like a cat asleep on a chair...
at home in the house of the living
PAX, DH Lawrence

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A sense of wonder

Here we see Jesus' great love for the earth, for the whole created order and for all creatures within it.  

Stephen Cottrell

And he touched him
And he touched him

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 

Leo Buscaglia

The Postures of Jesus
The Postures of Jesus

 to stand like the sunflower
turned full face to the sun   drenched
with light   in the still centre
held   while the circling planets
hum wth an utter joy
Evangeline Paterson