Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. –John 20:19b-20a
Christ is still showing us His wounds.
Christ is the energy of God alive and arisen in our midst. In my life, one of the most profound ways I experience that Christ energy is by communing with creation. The peace of Christ beats with the rhythm of an ancient drum in the depths of the woods and in the heart of the ocean. And earth is hurting. Like our brother Jesus, we have harmed the earth with our violence and sin.
Two examples: As highlighted in this film, the inhabitants of the Carteret Islands just north of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, are running for their lives while their island is overtaken by the rising ocean waters. Climate change is causing the icebergs to melt at rates faster than humans have ever known. Christ is wounded among us.
Here’s a video highlighting what these wounds look like:
The ocean bears many of the earth’s wounds. This example is so unbelievable, it almost seems like a joke. Really, it is no laughing matter. Our pollution and waste have created enormous garbage “islands” in ocean currents, one of which is apparently comparable to the size of Texas. This week the United Nations is going to declare that these garbage masses in the sea have achieved “state status” because of their size. The nation shall be called Garbage Patch, the flag will be all blue and its population shall be 36,939 tons of garbage.
Let’s have mercy, good people!
When Christ showed his wounds to his disciples he said “Peace be with you.”
As Christ shows his wounds to us, He also says “Peace be with you.”
We are privileged and blessed to be able to nurse the wounds of our earth, our Christ, during this holy sacred time. We can stop can using plastic, we can reduce our carbon footprint, we can teach others the truth and we can clean up the mess we have made. We can share the Christ of peace and be instruments of healing and blessing.
Let’s have mercy, Christ have mercy, peace be with you. Amen!
