Rooted for Mission
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ”
The iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo frequently incorporated herself into her artwork: of her 143 paintings, not less 55 are self-portraits. Her painting Roots (1943), represented here, depicts Kahlo in repose, her torso, open as a sort of window, a tangle of leafy vines emerging from her, and stretching out on a bare gray landscape. There are no distinguishing features of the land to which she connected, but presumably, she had in mind her native Mexico, whose tensions and paradoxes feature prominently in much of her art.
The image is ambiguous, and somewhat tragic. Kahlo is relaxed in her repose; and yet rended open for this new life to emerge. And, are these her roots, or is she creating roots for this barren scene? Either way, the deserted landscape is dry and empty, ungrateful and unforgiving. The life that is springing forth from her seems unsure of how it relates to the place it inhabits.
Nevertheless, Kahlo’s painting calls to mind something true of mission that we too often forget. In being sent out into the world, we are to regard our neighbor, not as an object, onto whom is to be projected our sense of religion, but as a subject, to whom we are fundamentally and organically connected, even before we arrive with the proclamation of who God is and what he has done for us and Jesus. And though we may find ourselves in a barren and dry land where there is no water, our connection is the same. We are sent into a being-together which aims towards mutual flourishing — even though our labors may seem mostly like toil. God’s is the harvest, and we pray, and rejoice the abundance that is his.
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
— Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Matt 9:37-38)
Third Sunday after Pentecost
Texts for This Week
Prayer
O Lord, from whom all good proceeds: Grant us the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may always think those things that are good, and by your merciful guidance may accomplish the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
12 Apostles, 18 Musicians
Steve Reich is a 20th C composer well-known for his contributions to the Minimalist school. His “Music for 18 Musicians” (1976) is probably his most well-known composition. The simplicity of his music is the root of its effect — and admits a rich variety of interpretation as well.
We might consider the tight and consistent harmony of these 18 different voices a mirror for the unfied message of the 12 Apostles sent out proclaiming the Gospel in Jesus’ name, spreading abroad over the whole earth, the song moving forward and slowly unfolding, even as it remains substantially the same within its rich variety and internal harmony.
The Reconciling Heart - A Meditation for Ordinary Time
What is the reconciling heart? The reconciling heart is aflame with faith. It burns with faith, not because it embraces counterfactuals or believes in spite of evidence, nor because it commits to a fantasy narrative or froths itself up with wishful thinking, but because it experiences, in its uttermost depths and essence, how deeply it is seen, known, loved, and forgiven. Transparent to such deep and such absolute love, it cannot help but become love itself. Every barrier, every boundary; every marker, every tribal distinction is erased to it. It loves all people — indeed, every created thing! — because it beats in time with the rhythms of the resistless and uncreated Love that is the source and summit of all Being. It remains small in itself, but boundless in its scope. It is circumscribed in its presence, but unlimited in its benevolence. It navigates this world like every other creature, subject to all the ambiguities and ambivalences, all the terrible and tragic limitations of our sad mortal estate. But it blooms with hope irrepressible, because it knows so fully, beyond all doubt or discussion, that God in Christ Jesus is reconciling all things to himself, not counting our sins against us: and its own presence to and participation in this beautiful ultimacy, is for to delight in this ever-unfolding divine work, and not accomplish it.
