By Andrew Fox of Clay Cross, Derbyshire, England
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Kyle and I were driving home from hospital where we had been visiting his brother. Suddenly, Kyle asked, “Where has Jesus gone?” At first, I didn’t understand the question, but then I realised what was being asked.
The previous day, Kyle had attended worship in our church for the first time in several years. Whilst there, he must have noticed that the picture of Jesus that had hung at the front of the church for over 50 years ago was no longer there.
This particular picture portrayed Jesus as a fair-skinned man with beautifully combed straight hair and a perfectly white robe sitting behind a table on which was a pristine tablecloth. The pastor leadership team of our congregation were concerned that the picture did not reflect how Jesus would have looked; instead it represented a white person’s idea of how they would like to think of Jesus looking. And so, as part of our efforts to be a more inclusive church, it had been agreed that the picture needed to come down.
Not everyone was totally happy with the decision. Actually, when I say not everyone, it was probably just me! Whilst I understood the reasons for the decision to take down the picture, I missed it. This was the picture of Jesus which, since being a young child, I had looked up at and prayed to during hundreds of worship services. However, I have now come to realise that the decision was the right one, in part because taking the picture down was only part of what happened. Let me explain.
When the picture of Jesus was taken down, we weren’t just left with a blank wall. It was replaced with a new picture, a picture on which are the words “Share the Peace of Jesus Christ” and the word “peace” in many languages. This new picture speaks to what we are striving to be and do as Community of Christ in our local neighbourhood. It proclaims a message that all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
So where has Jesus gone? Jesus is no longer an idea to hang on a wall. Jesus, and the message of peace that Jesus taught, has come down from the wall to be shared with people.
Prayer Phrase
“…he has given us a new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).
Spiritual Practice
Weaving a Life
Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave in 2025?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.