Holy Week 2020 ~ It Came Without Bonnets; It Came Without Eggs

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I said at the outset of this thinking, Holy Week was very different than any other year I recall.  I felt the isolation and mourned not being able to gather for services at my church.  I spent most of the day in silence but both Saturday and Sunday yielded conversations with friends that were refreshing.

One of the great differences that impacted me was not hearing over and over the greeting common on Resurrection Sunday.   The salutation among Christ-followers is “Christ is risen,” to which one responds, “Christ is risen indeed.”  It is odd that seeing it in the media feeds and the few texts that I got about it laced the impact.  There is something about the personal interaction of common worship, of congregating that nourishes me.

It is not the pretty floral bonnets, bow ties, or saddle shoes that impresses me.  It is a group of people choosing to agree on this one thing and celebrate it.  It reminded me that this is what really matters.  If Christ is not risen then all that we do is worthless.  Without a risen living Jesus, our faith is of no use.

There is ample logical evidence for the resurrection.  I am not debating that here.  I am pointing out that it is the event on which our faith and hope hang.  The resurrection is what should transform us.  It is what should spur us on to following in faith.  It is what should drive us to love more deeply. 

Last year during Holy Week, no one would have suggested that we would be under the grasp of a world pandemic.   We do not know what Holy Week holds for us next year.  It is not the bonnets and eggs that matter.  It is that which will never change that we must embrace.

The Living God took human form so that he could die for our sin.  The Son showed us all that his atonement accomplished its purpose for the Father.   It is the resurrection that heralds that completion. 

As we turn the corner toward summer, not knowing what this present distress holds for us, we can journey on in hope.  The risen Christ is who we follow.  We walk through troubled times, Dear Reader.   If we make loving Christ and each other the focus, we will arrive at our destinations better for it. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

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Second Thoughts - Holy Week 2020 ~ This Present Gloom

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I left you this morning, I said that I was going to sit on the veranda and worship as the sun rose.   This is what I did.  The sky was just pinking-up when I sat on the bench, coffee in hand, Bible in lap.  It promised to be a beautiful sunrise and my hope was that the sun would appear in the cleft between the two small mountains to the east of where I live.

I read the resurrection accounts as I waited for sunrise.   The salmon-colored bloom of dawn grew as I read.  I looked down to read John’s writing and when I looked up again, clouds had moved in muting the approaching dawn.

I felt a moment of disappointment as I realized that the clouds would fully cover my viewpoint before the sun appeared above the horizon.  Then I realized that the circumstance perfectly echoed the events that I had just written about this morning. 

Not for a moment did I think that the sun would not rise today.  I knew that behind the gray and darkening clouds the sun was still there.  It was mounting the sky and sending warmth to the earth as it does every single day.  My inability to see the sunrise due to the clouds did not prevent it from rising.

It is this simple truth that broke on me over and over as the day grew gray and stormy.   My inability to see the sun never gives me doubt that it is there.  My inability to see the SON must be the same.  He is there.  He is with me.  The day dawns even when it does so darkly.   The Son is there asking me to follow even when the way is dark, overcast, or foggy.  

The isolation of our pandemic has caused others to fear what they cannot see.  Instead of fear, I choose to follow what I cannot see.  I choose to believe.  I will walk in faith.  I know the sun is there when it is cloudy.  I also know that Christ is there because he has promised that he is.  I will follow in faith no matter how little I see.  You are welcome to walk with me, Dear Reader.   He is there for us in every moment.

My sunrise worship in solitude was neither.   I saw no sunrise even though it was there.  I was not in solitude because Jesus is always with me.  It is not what we see that guides us.  It is our faith and following.   It is that the Son is always risen and leading us home.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/  

Holy Week 2020 ~ The World Begins Again

Greetings Dear Reader,

We need to recall that Sunday was not a weekend day for the Apostles.  Sunday in this era is the day after the Sabbath.  It is the day when one may tend to work that needs completion or continuation.

The women leave the Apostles to tend to the body of Jesus.  Again, it is noteworthy that the Apostles did not join them.  It is another missed opportunity.  It is arguable that they do not know yet that Judas is dead.   For some reason, Thomas leaves. 

It may have been simple provisioning or seeking solace somewhere else.  He may have wished to visit the busy market since Jerusalem is populated with Passover vendors.  What we do know is that when Mary returns to let the Apostles know that Jesus is risen.  He is not there.  Only John runs to the tomb.  Then Jesus appears to them all.  Thomas is absent.

I picture him returning with the groceries.  His friends excitedly tell him that Jesus is risen and has come to them.  The ten men he has been with for the last three years assure him that Jesus is alive.  He has been a part of healing the sick, producing food from nothing, and yes, raising the dead.

Still, he says the thing by which he will be remembered for all of time.   “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (NIV)  It is a further progression from yesterday’s collective lack of faith and hope among the Apostles.   He has declared that he must see to believe.   His faith is gone.  Ten men he knows and the women there are telling him that they have seen Jesus.  Even that is not enough.

Jesus chooses to answer his doubts directly.  He will lose the opportunity to have faith.  He must live with the conflict an entire week.  The others all believe.  They are not changed as they will be at Pentecost.   They have, however, recovered their faith and hope.  Thomas is still filled with unbelief and hopelessness.

Then Jesus acts.  John 20: ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas seems to be the first person to hear of the resurrection and doubt it.  The line behind him stretches across the centuries from him until now.   Many doubt the resurrection and refuse to see who Jesus is.  I am not here to convince you.  Rather, I am here to testify to the belief I carry.  Jesus is risen.  He lives.  I believe.   We can discuss it if you wish but I will not argue with you about it.

What we learn from the Apostles is that faith is better than seeing.  When faith feels thin is when we must cling to it.  When things are bleak is when we must hope.  Now, Dear Reader, the sun is about to rise and I need to go sit on the veranda and worship the one I have not seen and is risen indeed.  You are welcome to join me.

Better Days – Goo Goo Dolls

And you ask me what I want this year

And I try to make this kind and clear

Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

Cause I don't need boxes wrapped in strings

And designer love and empty things

Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So, take these words

And sing out loud

Cause everyone is forgiven now

Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I need someplace simple where we could live

And something only you can give

And that’s faith and trust and peace while we're alive

And the one poor child who saved this world

And there's 10 million more who probably could

If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So, take these words

And sing out loud

Cause everyone is forgiven now

Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight

And somehow stop this endless fight

Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days

So, take these words

And sing out loud

Cause everyone is forgiven now

Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

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Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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Holy Week 2020 ~ Gathering Gloom

Greetings Dear Reader,

As we ponder the Saturday after Good Friday, we will look at the gathered group of Apostles and take the measure of their minds.  They are all sure that Jesus is dead.  There are other things with which they must contend.

John is the last to arrive at the upper room where they last ate with Jesus.  Mary and other women are with him.  They have just laid Jesus in the borrowed tomb.  Unfortunately, they do not consider it borrowed.  They are trapped in a moment where faith is suspended and, therefore, hope cannot breathe.

They probably observe the Sabbath meal.  It is likely quiet and also filled with useless words.  Eventually, someone has the courage to ask John what he saw.  Peter, overcome by guilt and shame remains uncharacteristically quiet.  The sun has set on the day he denied Jesus before dawn.  It will never set on his guilt.

They all fear that the Priests or the Romans will still seek them out.  They know the Pharisees are vindictive and the Romans are thorough.  John relates that at the end, one of the Roman officers admitted that Jesus was the Son of God.  Perhaps it is enough to keep them away. 

The Apostles, sheltering in place on this restless day of rest consider everything lost.  They do not embrace the faith and hope that should be their stronghold given all they have seen over the last three years.  Later in the day they discuss returning to fishing and weaving.  Matthew expresses that he has learned too much to go back to gathering taxes.  James and John joke that they will teach him to fish.  The laughter is weak and filled with shame.

The darkness descends on the Sabbath between Friday and Sunday.  Thomas says that he will venture out in the morning to buy some food for all of them.  It is then that they wonder where Judas is.  This summons comments of anger and worry.  They worry more about him telling the Priests where they are than they do about Judas.  None of them sees what they are all missing.

You see, Dear Reader, they could have had a day of rest filled with hope and anticipation.  They could have celebrated the Sabbath knowing that the Lord of the Sabbath was at work, ready to restart time after dividing it eternally.  They could have seen Saturday as the pause between the fullness of time and when it begins to flow again toward the day when all things are returned to good.

The missed opportunity is that none of them plans to be at the tomb on the morning of the third day.  They do not believe that the tomb will open, the sun will shine, and that Jesus will return to them.  It is not the death of Jesus that has them undone.  It is their failure to see how it fits everything they have experienced.  On this day we are to rest in hope and faith, I hope we can do so well in this time of crisis.  The grains in the glass flow through the pinch bringing us ever closer to the time when our faith and hope will be realized and become unnecessary.   Let us rest today and gather strength to hope for tomorrow.  We can meet at the tomb just before sunrise if you like.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Holy Week 2020 ~ My Best Friend

Greetings Dear Reader,

Most of us have that one friend.  You are close and share many things that are vital to life.  Today we look at the day through the eyes of Jesus’ closest friend, the Apostle John.

It is possible that John was a cousin to Jesus.  It is true that they shared the kind of love that all men need.  We need to remember that among this group of men, expressing genuine brotherly love for each other was not a problem.  My first takeaway from this is that we all need to be better at showing pure loving affection for our fellow travelers.

John was among those who could not stay awake in the garden.  His best friend held great grief and it is part of the progress that John records as Jesus grows further and further isolated whilst heading toward the cross.  Even John did not stay with Jesus.

From his own narrative, we can conclude that like Peter he is standing in the crowd watching the spectacle at the palace.  He sees each step of the transformation as his best friend is bearded, beaten, and crowned.  He hears Peter deny Jesus.  He hears the crowing rooster.  We must say that John is complicit in Peter’s denial because he does not step forward to claim Jesus.  John witnesses the flogging that would kill most men.  He sees Pilate wash his hands of the Master and again joins in by keeping silent while the crowd calls for Jesus’ death.

The next time we know he sees Jesus is the morning of the crucifixion.  Perhaps he follows his best friend with the jeering spitting crowd through Jerusalem.  When Jesus falls his best friend does not step forward to carry his cross and follow.  All the other Apostles are missing at the top of the hill.  The clouds of that morning are already gathering to herald the coming darkness.  The sound of hammers driving nails into wood echoes across the Place of the Skull. 

Mary and some of the other women are there and see that John is present.  The bloodied beaten God raises up on his lonely tower, now fully isolated from all of us and approaching the most wretched isolation anyone has ever endured.  He speaks to John, charging his best friend with caring for his mother. 

He sees the sign affixed to his best friend’s lonely tower, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  He hears the Pharisees grumble about what it says and some of them run off to complain to Pilate.  He sees the darkness gather.  He hears the Water of Life, the one who honored handing out cold water in his name, say, “I thirst.”  It is too late for John to offer him water.  He sees one of the soldiers show more mercy than usual by offering to dull Jesus’ senses with gall.  Jesus refuses.

Even facing the final isolation, Jesus offers hope and mercy to the thief beside him.  The darkness, the isolation, and time reach their fullness.  John hears his best friend call out, “Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?”   Within a short time, he thirsts again and the last thing Jesus takes in is the sour vinegar of old wine.  Perhaps John recalls the best wine he has ever had was provided by his friend at a wedding in Cana. 

The Man of Sorrows hanging on his lonely tower is completely alone now.  His best friend watches as the tattered bloodied God raises his eyes one last time.  “It is complete,” he manages and then slips away into the deep daytime darkness.  The lot is cast on which is wagered the future of us all. 

John sees his best friend die, feels the earthquake, and knows he has not acted like a best friend this day.  He and the women leave to find a way to bury Jesus before the sunset.  On this Sabbath, they will bury their dead God before the night folds its wings and descends.  John must live with his actions or inaction.  It is Friday.  Without faith, there is no hope, Dear Reader.  It is Friday and John does not know that the Temple veil is torn.  It is Friday and John must care for Jesus’ weeping mother.  It is Friday and John will have to face the rest of the Apostles at dinner and relive the day in telling them of it.  It is Friday and John has lost his best friend.  It is the darkest deadliest Friday…

A Little More Like Me (The Crucifixion) – Kenny Rogers

It was an April night and I was right
Went out on the town
The show was at the palace
So we all went on down

We all had a ball as I recall
But now it seems absurd
As the madness raged upon the stage
He didn't say a word

He was a little weird and we all feared
He wasn't one of us
He didn't drink, he didn't smoke
And he didn't even cuss

You'd see him now and then
With a bunch of men hanging around the sea
And I'm sure I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me

It was a springish each day
The clouds were gray
Looked like it might rain
Thought about the night before
And I was so ashamed

When I heard what they had done to him
A stranger I had known
But as drunk as we all got last night
It's a wonder we got home

He was a little weird and we all feared
He wasn't one of us
He didn't drink, he didn't smoke
And he didn't even cuss

You'd see him now and then
With a bunch of men hanging around the sea
And I'm sure I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me

And I'm sure I would have liked him more
If he were a little more like me

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Holy Week 2020 ~ Passion and Fear

Greetings Dear Reader,

Ponder something about which you are passionate.  Let it hold your focus and monitor your feelings.   Note how it works in your thoughts.  If one is truly passionate about something, this takes little effort.

Now, let us look at the week thus far through the eyes of Peter.  He is passionate and fearful.  He acts on impulse and often does not think things through.  He boasts that Christ is his all and that he will never betray him.  He also attacks those seeking to arrest Jesus.  He denies Jesus.  His passions are often his undoing.

Yet, we dare not judge Peter.   Even with all his faults, we are no better.  How often we boast of our faith among fellow believers but grow silent among the opposition is a clear measure of our faith.  The way in which we speak before we think is not unlike this Apostle.   We need to recall that later Peter will argue with God about what is clean or unclean.  We too argue with God about his declarations.

We must avoid being like Peter and be like him at the same time.  We must be willing to leave the boat and walk on water to Jesus.  It is vital that we not take our eyes off of Christ.   We must be fiercely loyal but do so in humility.  As Jesus dines with the Apostles, Peter is certain of his loyalty.  Like him, we must watch that we do not fall.

It is our obligation to embrace Peter’s foolishness in the good ways.  It is our duty to avoid the foolish actions that deny our faith.  Peter learns but it takes time.  We too must grow in our foolish acts that emulate the love of Christ and diminish those that deny it.  We must always know him, the fellowship of his suffering, and the power of his resurrection.  The journey will be more adventurous and satisfying. 

Peter, Peter – Glisson

Peter, Peter what are you doing...

following that man?

You gave up a life of fishing

will it really last?

Just think of how things might have been

if you remained at sea

you'd still be a fisherman

Peter... you're such a fool

Peter, Peter what are you doing...

sinking in the waves?

you thought you could walk on water but now

you're sinking down

Just think of how things might have been

if you remained at sea

you'd still be a fisherman

Peter... you're such a fool

Peter, Peter what are you doing...

crying by the fire?

you said that you did not know him and now

he's gone and died

Just think of how things might have been

if you remained at sea

you'd still be a fisherman

Peter...

Peter, Peter what are you doing...

hanging upside down?

Peter you know you're dying

dying for your Lord

just think of how things might have been

if you remained at sea

you'd still be a fisherman

Peter...you're such a fool

Oh, how I long to be such a fool

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Holy Week 2020 ~ No Guile and a Bit of Denial

Greetings Dear Reader,

The idea of a fine dinner with a noted Pharisee must have appealed to the Apostles.  It also must have been distracting that as they reclined at the table, a woman came in and began to weep over Jesus.  She wet his feet with her tears and washed them.  She dried then with her hair and kissed them.  She poured very expensive perfume over his feet.  Then the trouble begins.

Simon, their host is a Pharisee.  The Apostles are used to Jesus dining with the broken and the outcast.  They are not used to opulence.  Nathanial is watching.  This is the Apostle about whom Jesus has said there is no guile.  Still, he sits and murmurs about the wasted money that could have been had with the perfume.  The Apostles murmur about the money.  Their host, Simon doubts Jesus and judges the woman. 

Whilst the woman is focused on Jesus and her sorrow over her sin, the Apostles worry about money and the Pharisee worries about propriety.   The Apostles are denying or ignoring what is really unfolding this week.  Jesus says clearly that she is anointing him for burial.  Simon the Pharisee is ignoring common hospitality by not having the servants wash the feet of his guests.  Everyone is denying and ignoring the obvious whilst pretending to be holy and righteous. 

It is never the trappings or rituals that matter during our journey to the cross.  If I am with Jesus as his follower, then I must be wholly with him.  I must hear what he says and follow his lead.  If he accepts something, then I must accept it.  If he questions something, then I must question it.  If he says he is going to die, we must walk with him to the cross.

Whether I am a simple follower or religious leader, I must never lose sight of the sin that puts me in need of Christ.  I cannot afford to judge those who see their sin so clearly and act out of love for Jesus.  I must not care what social strata a person emerges from to follow Christ.  I must be the one who has no guile.  I must not judge or neglect hospitality to anyone.  Like the woman with the perfume, I must be the one recognized for my love and devotion to Jesus.  That must be seen in my treatment of others Dear Reader.  My love for Christ must be seen in my love for you as it pours from my broken heart. 

Father – Terry Talbot

The alabaster case of oil is open

And washing the feet of Jesus

The sweet perfume is poured

I am like the cask I must be broken

So from my heart will flow

A life unto my Lord

Father break me

Take me through the fire

Father hold me, mold me

Just as you desire

I am just a cup to overflow your will

But first I must be empty to be filled

I saw myself as only drifting

Lost upon the waters

Sinking like a stone

Then your tide washed around me

I was lifted

If I follow the morning star

I’ll be sailing home

Father break me

Take me through the fire

Father hold me, mold me

Just as you desire

I am just a cup to overflow your will

But first I must be empty to be filled

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings: aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook       Twitter        

Medium         Instagram 

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Holy Week 2020 ~ Militant Mindfulness

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all have causes and ideals about which we are passionate.  Some of us even become fanatical.  We embrace our cause and abandon all else to pursue.  It may or may not be a just cause.  We may or may not have the right perspective.

If we look back to Sunday, the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, we can find another Apostle who is zealous for his cause.  He, like Simon, has seen everything that Jesus does.  He understands the power residing in the carpenter he has known for so long.  He honestly believes that this man is the promised Messiah, the God of Abraham in human form.  He knows this is the King assured throughout the writings of the prophets.

Perhaps he is surprised at the lack of action on Sunday.  He sees a beginning to the needed action when Jesus clears the temple on Tuesday.  He forms a plan to push the man into action.  He does not see that despite his intent his actions are amiss.  Judas wants Jesus to act like God.   Judas sets him up to be arrested by the priests.  He is sure that Jesus will act in the way he wishes and destroy the enemies of Israel.

Look through his Zealot's eyes for a moment.  See his hope as he hands over Jesus.  Imagine with me for a moment how he felt when the soldier says, “We seek Jesus of Nazareth.”   Stand in the garden for that instant where those coming to arrest Jesus get a glimpse of the Son of God in all his power as he says, “I AM.”  See Judas believing as all of them fall to the ground.

You see, I believe like so many Christ-followers that Judas was pushing Christ to act as Judas imagined God should act.  In his mind he wanted Jesus to destroy Rome and the corrupt priests.  His desire was that God behave in the way he imagined should behave.

This is the difficulty we all face.  We expect the Father to behave in a certain way.  When things do not unfold as we think they should, we take things into our own hands.  There is always collateral damage to this choice.  The moment we force things to be as we imagine instead of how Christ is leading us, we create trouble.  God is never surprised by this, but it can be disastrous for us.

There are two things I must learn from this, Dear Reader.  The first is that my plans must be always subject to the Father’s designs.  Following Christ always means following and never passing and presuming.   If anything I propose to do disagrees with the commands to love the Father and every human, then it is not part of my following. 

The other thing is that I must be very careful about how I think concerning Judas.  I must love him as Jesus loves him.  I must see that the Father and Son are not surprised by his actions and understand his heart.  One can be sincere in his or her love for Christ and fail to follow when hatred for other humans is added to the mix. 

As we approach the cross and the resurrection, we must discard all hatred and presupposition that we know better than the Father.  We must see only Christ and follow his plan no matter how uncomfortable we are with how others are acting.   We must love the Romans.  We must love Judas.  Again, the narrow way opens before us and asks us to keep walking.  We must keep moving together.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

#aramisthorn

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels: From My Publisher or on Amazon          

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

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