Once Upon A Time
From Madeleine L`Engle . . .
“I look at the stars and wonder. How old is the universe?
All kinds of estimates have been made and, as far as we can tell, no one is accurate.
All we know is that once upon a time, or, rather, once before time, Christ called everything into being in a great breath of creativity — waters, land, green growing things, birds and beasts, and finally human creatures — the beginning, the genesis, not in ordinary Earth days; the Bible makes it quite clear that God’s timing is different from our time . . .
Very Good
In God’s good time came solar systems and planets and ultimately this planet on which I stand . . . as the Earth makes its graceful dance around the sun . . . part of the intricate pattern of the universe.
And God called it good, very good! . . .
A sky full of God’s children! Each galaxy, each star, each living creature, every particle and subatomic particle of creation, we are all children of the Maker. From subatomic particle with a life span of a few seconds, to a galaxy with a life span of billions of years, to us as human creatures somewhere in the middle in size and age, we are made in God’s image, male and female, and we are, as Christ promised us, God’s children by adoption and grace.”
Reflection:
We are the ones who are made in God’s image.
We, of all of creation, are the ones He has made joint heirs with Jesus through adoption and grace.
As Romans 8:14-16 says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, 'Abba, Father.' For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”
Most of us know someone who has adopted a child or perhaps was adopted themselves.
It truly is an amazing kind of love.
No Longer Slaves
If you have the time, take a few minutes to listen to/watch this song - “No Longer Slaves."
As you listen, be overwhelmed by the reality that the God of all creation has chosen you and adopted you as His child. Meditate on all that He did in order to make you His child.
As you talk to Him today, feel free to call Him Abba. Father. Daddy. Papa. You are a child of God.
Madeleine L'Engle was a poet and novelist who was most famous for young adult literature (“A Wrinkle In Time” being her most well know piece). She was an Episcopalian and considered herself a Christian universalist which would set her apart from evangelical Christians. Nevertheless, she is a brilliant writer who loved Jesus and was unafraid to wonder about the things of God. As you will see, she takes much poetic license with scripture but I think what she says stirs up deeper truth in all of us and is well worth reading.
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