Welcoming
Jesus
In those years
when
we moved in evangelical circles
we
welcomed Jesus into our hearts
by
invitation,
being
careful to get the formula correct.
This,
we were assured,
would
see us transformed,
by
grace, into sons and daughters of God,
and
ensure our entitlement to a place in heaven.
It
didn’t make us disciples;
that
may or may not have come later,
perhaps
as a consequence.
It’s
an uncertain metaphor;
making
Jesus welcome.
There
he is, knocking on Holman Hunt’s
weed-locked
door with his lantern glowing
in
the darkness.
Open
your heart, let him in.
Simple,
really.
The
cup of cold water
suggests
a different welcoming.
Open
your heart to the thirsty, the hungry
the
struggling, the distressed,
the
poor and the wretched.
Stand with courage to denounce evil
and
oppose the unjust.
Repudiate the false idols
of
wealth, comfort and power.
Give
yourself, be a disciple,
create
hope, make peace, do love;
that’s
where the welcoming gets serious.
©
Ken Rookes 2014
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