Day 32: Hocus-Pocus: seeing the world around us
Saw someone in half. Click our heels three times, say the magic words, wiggle our noses and, Presto-Change-O, they are put back together. Fantasy? Certainly. Sorting out what is fantasy and what is reality is not always so straightforward. Sometimes we can see reality clearly, and other times it eludes us.
I am in that generation where Television, for the first time, invaded our homes. What had only been possible with a book and an imagination, now poured into my living room. Superman flew, Samantha wiggled her nose, and I Dream of Jeanne put her arms together, blinked hard, and shook around a bit. Bam! They changed everything. One through superhuman heroism, and the other two with less effort and a bit of comedy.
My brain began to want to have these powers. As a child, who didn't run around pretending they were a superhero? It is all great fun—so long as you do not confuse it with reality.
To understand what is real requires “seeing” the world clearly.
Jesus has been inviting his disciples to "see their connection with God and God’s world" for the last three years. They are struggling.
Yesterday I pointed out that Jesus is inviting us to his home, indeed, to our home. Seeing our true home is Step One, but there is more.
The next bit of the puzzle is tied up in a phrase Jesus uses: “Ask in my name”
We know what this does not mean. It does not mean if I believe in Jesus, and ask for whatever I want, then Presto-Change-O, I get it.
Okay, so what does it mean?
Maybe we need to ask “What’s in a name?” A name reveals the character of the person or family. My last name is Collum. My dad reminded me often how hard he worked to establish a good reputation.
To pray in Jesus’ name is to presume that you are striving to have the character of Jesus…or said differently…you and Jesus are one.
Now you might say, “How on earth can Jesus and I be one?” Before I answer that, does the word “one-ness” remind you of anything? Jesus has been running around saying “he and the Father are one.” Soon we will read about God the Holy Spirit who has everything to do with our one-ness with Jesus.
However, now I need to stay focused. If you and Jesus were “one”, then what would your life, including your prayer life, look like? I think it means you would pray in keeping with his character and concerns and, indeed, in union with him.
You, through your one-ness, would take up his agenda. His agenda, as we have read over and over, is to do His Father’s will.
Jesus sees himself completely “one” with the Father, and he is suggesting that we can be one with him. I pray you are seeing this piece of the puzzle.
Your mind may be jumping ahead to something like, “But wouldn’t God want this good thing I prayed for, and I asked in Jesus’ name, and isn’t it a greater thing, and…” Slow down. We’ll talk about this situation.
Today, however it is simply about a deep idea: In His Name = One-ness with Jesus
When we are one with Jesus we “see” ourselves more clearly. We are children of God. We call God, Father.
If you were to assume a name, what would it be?