2023-06-22 A Meditation on Juice

“16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (Jn 1:16–17 ESV)

Any injection of juice is enabling yet tempting: the soul awakened by love and belonging and purpose, is a soul quick to unbury its desires. We long for that dependent rush, that acting out, that blotto of addiction or experimentation. More than that, God’s love is unguilting; it is so genuine and sincere, we catch ourselves lest we attack this Jesus. For it is a vulnerable parable told, a genuine second chances (as if we even needed such!), genius of lives saved and souls bettered.

The injection of juice is a full metal jacket, impermeable, safeguarding, resistant to all efforts to hack in. It blesses us even as it reminds us of our creaturely and servant role. That is, we are inducted into Majesty. We are inducted into a deeper Understanding. We are inducted into patient Cleansing. God cleanses, magisterially, with understanding that doesn’t beat around the bush: His understanding is plain and intent on upbuilding. We are upbuilt as agents and servants, no longer frightened to live in a realm beyond those deadly sins or regrets or self-image problems. For, it is easy to say “Fix up your self-image!”, and another thing to do it: all of us yawn or demure around some society-wide sins or totems, idols and faulty ideals.

Therefore the soldier is certain of what once was unfurled over years and decades of daily rhythms, today is in accelerated mode, moonlighting as social beings even though our day job is readiness and the fight. Simple gestures and conveyance of spirit, is remembered forever. We know each other through the fellowship of prayer, praying for others, praying for ourselves, taking that no-regret channel, avenue, forward. We are located on the boulevard of dreams, hearing from our better angels no concession, God being always on time, patient ownership and mastery of the domain. The domain is owned and tended to by God on high. The domain is ours to live in to, soldiering though in a former time reluctant or in quagmire not easily extracted from.

Step by step we extract. Step by step we salute that Cross wherein yesterday’s indulgence or flamboyancy is forgiven at once. We need not see this proven but rather know the proof in our hearts now healed and made over as clean. All this to live into that healing gift, that peaceful statement of situation, that unspoken assumption that we are good and deserving, at least in His eyes.