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| The old school building |
What
does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
into the lower regions of the earth?
The twelve step program speaks
of reaching one’s bottom. We descend into the lower regions of our illness or selfishness
or sin – whatever you may call it – and realize it’s time to let go and let God.
I just can’t do it my way anymore.
The “bottom” is different for different people. It is not
always the gutter. Some lose their spouses, jobs and faith before they touch
bottom. Some just see where this is going and decide “Enough!”
Reaching the bottom we don’t necessarily strive to escape
it. First we study it. “This place is awful! I deserve better. How did I get
here? Who will save me? Whom can I trust? Who will care about me despite my
self-loathing?”
Reaching the lowest point of one’s life it’s important to
realize, “I’ve tried to do it my way, to keep control and maintain mastery and
it’s not working for me. I cannot help myself.”
It helps to realize, “I am not a stupid or wicked person,
but I’ve acted stupidly and wickedly. It’s time to stop that. I don’t have to
be my own worse enemy anymore.”
Reaching the bottom the Christian finds Jesus Christ .
He descended into hell to find us.
“The Harrowing of Hell” is a traditional image, like the Christmas
crèche or the crucifixion, which depicts Jesus ’
descent into hell and his rescue of Adam and Eve .
If you Google/image that phrase you’ll find dozens of such pictures. The paintings
usually depict Jesus ’ taking our Ancestors by
the hand, as in, “Precious Lord, take my hand…” and “Put your hand in the hand
of the man…”
Taking charge of our lives, invariably he will lead us to a
supportive group of people who have also seen hell. It may be a 12-step group
or a church. If you don’t join a group, if you still think you can do it
without a group, you’ve not hit your bottom yet. Good luck to you!
Finding myself in such a group in 1983, I realized that I needed
to meet the God these people knew. I had my own religion as a young Franciscan priest;
I had the doctrines of the church and the practices of daily Mass and
Liturgical Hours, but I needed to meet the Lord through this group of
people. I had to meet the God whom they called the Higher Power. If I called
him “Jesus ” or “Holy Spirit” it didn’t matter, I
still needed to see God through their eyes.
To do so, I had to take an interest in and care about them. I
had to forget about myself. It’s not about me! My life is not about me!
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
From the community in which you
find yourself the Lord chooses some for different ministries. One may be a coffee
maker; another, a mentor; and another, a bishop. It really doesn’t matter what
you do so long as it’s what God tells you to do. From there we attain the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God,
to maturity, to the extent of the full stature of Christ .
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.