“My kingdom is not of this world,” he said.
Though the Roman prefect before him
proved incapable of wielding anything save violence,
for the rest of us, a universe of possibility opened
By Jesus’ words, he leads us to consider
that his kingdom is not an ethereal cloud,
a remote outpost in the outer reaches of space,
or an unattainable place for the rest of the ordinary lot
No, the realm he spoke of is Creation itself,
a paradise born of Eden, where the command
to “till and keep” meant that the garden never
belonged to us, but God alone.
And You, mistaken for the gardener awash in the first light of morning,
Raise us to take up the mantle as intended from the beginning,
Tending each other, the lands and seas, the valleys and mountains, and all the earth’s creatures, For the Creator’s sake and not our own.
[1] Sundown on Maundy Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday is considered the most solemn of the liturgical year. This three-day period is known as the Easter Triduum.
[2] John 18:36
[3] Genesis 2:15
[4] John 20:15
You’ve taken us full circle, from garden to garden, and even included the gardener. Thank you for the journey!
And thank you for your journeying alongside the rest of us. A blessed Easter!
Such a pause in the middle of must-write-the-sermon which is so often the opposite of what Tridiuum means. I am deeply grateful for your taking me here.
Resonate deeply with the must-write-the-sermon push and during Triduum of all times. Trusting that your message is not only emerging but beautifully and poignantly so.
I love your connection of Jesus mistakenly seen as the Gardner and its implications for our care of creation! Thank you for this lovey insight!
Thank you for affirming and celebrating this connection, and the vast implications it holds for the care of God’s creation. A blessed and joyous Easter to you and yours.