Life is beautiful

Life is uphill all the way.

Life is endless pain. I can’t imagine what that is like. But it is for some people.

What is it for you?

How would you sum up life?

How would you define life…in the bigger, abstract sense.

Maybe we can’t.

Maybe we shouldn’t. Life is complex. And layered. And short. Better to live it than define it maybe!

One of my favourite commentaries on life comes from the Dalai Lama – it’s not quite a definition but it is I think a fairly truthful observation. Many people, he says somewhere,  live as though they are never going to die and then they die having never lived.

Just take that in for a minute.

Many people, he says,  live as though they are never going to die then die having never lived.

How utterly the opposite of Jesus’ promise – I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Living life to the full – for a Christian, what does that look like?

The thing about all of these sheep/shepherd metaphors, parables, including the one we have today where Jesus says he is the gate – is that they bring a picture to the mind of what it means to be cared for and allowed to flourish: to be safe, to be known, to be wanted, and yet free to roam, abiding in green pastures with all that suggests of life, and fullness and flourishing and needs satisfied. Green pastures.

Life in all its fullness. Safe from the thief that steals. Jesus offers that; Jesus promises that.

But  for some of us, I guess, we do fall victim to the thief.

The thief comes in the night and steals from us  – steals our peace of mind, our hope, and replaces it with some cynicism.

Sometimes we just trudge through life, so caught up in the banality of it, that we don’t see the significance of our existence.

We drift through it, thinking we have all the time in the world. Consequently by the time that  time catches up with us, as it will, we haven’t really given life much thought.  And we have missed so much. Life then really is sadly  just the bit between birth and death.

But that is not what God wants for us..

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

IN some versions it doesn’t say life to the full but ‘abundant life’.

The Greek for abundant is per-is-sos, and it means exceedingly, Beyond measure.

Christ brings life beyond measure.

Paul uses the same Greek word in Ephesians – chapter 3, when he says ‘now, to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works within us.’

Overflowing with good things. Exceedingly abundant. Overflowing with overflowing good things…

Our birthright.

According to the power of God within us.

But what about those thieves in the night?

Here are a few possible culprits to guard against

Cynicism – an example is, I won’t vote because politicians are all the same’. What does that steal – hope, autonomy, I can’t change things. It’s also untrue.

Ending relationships before they’ve had a chance to flourish – I know how it will end. And I’ve been hurt before. What does that steal? Reckless love.

Not sharing of ourselves with others – they’ll take advantage. What does that steal? A sense of the dignity and integrity of others.

Not letting others give of themselves to us. What does that steal? A sense of our own dignity, our own worth.

Not taking risks – it’s not worth it. What does that steal – a sense of how wonderful life could be, and how big God really is.

Risks are always worth it.

Negative attitudes can prevent us living life to the full.

So too can some over-positive outlooks to be honest.

Possessions – actually as a culture we have far more than we’ve ever had but we’re not happier. Far from it. That is so axiomatically true yet we seem to avoid the implications of it. Stuff can’t make us happy.

Can I just speak briefly about The Desiderata – it speaks of that balance which prevents cynicism and small-living that prevents the flourishing that God imagines for us.

I had it on my wall as a kid. I didn’t understand it then; but its words somehow soothed all the same.

It has a balance about it all – think about it…some of the advice within this extraordinary piece of writing.

1/ Try hard to be on good terms with everyone, but be true to yourself too.

2/ Don’t avoid the noise and haste of the world – but don’t let it get to you. It’s a busy world – you can’t avoid it but don’t be consumed by it.

3/ The word is full of trickery, yes, own it,  but don’t let it blind you to the virtuous – that’s a good one. Much of our peace of mind is stolen by a lack of trust. But most people are good – as good as we are, believe it or not. I’m always a bit baffled when people say I don’t like people. I’m, like, but you are one.

4/ Be ready for misfortune but don’t let it define you – many fears are born of tiredness – how true is that. Exhaustion is the brilliant thief of a peaceful mind. We all know it.

5/ Beyond a wholesome discipline be gentle with yourself – Again, balance.  Don’t let it all hang out – self-discipline matters, it does  – but be gentle, Allow yourself to make mistakes. Allow yourself to have bad days. Don’t beat yourself up. Allow other people to make mistakes. Let others have bad days too.

7/ And finally – Be at peace with God – be at peace with God – with all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams it is still a beautiful world.

Jesus says:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

‘Very truly I tell you; I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers , but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture’.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus longs for us to flourish.

He is the gate through which flourishing becomes possible.

The life God wants for us.

The life God offers us.

True life is found in Jesus – the significance of life, the meaning of life. The source of life. It doesn’t mean life will be easy – I refer you back to the desiderata – the sham and drudgery. It’s still there but it doesn’t have to define us.

But what about life for those who endure great pain – physical, spiritual, emotional. How do they experience life to the full, the life that God wants for us.

I’d take you back to my point that fullness of life is not perhaps determined by what we have or by what we lack. It’s not about happiness.

I met someone this week who is in a great deal of pain and yet has a faith that sends the thief away. I know people, we all do, who deal with pain, exhaustion, grief and yet still they praise God. I am always in awe of them.

But what does the faith of those in pain – physical or mental – what does that teach me – it teaches me that living life to the full as Scripture puts it is not about happiness, having pain or not having pain, its not suffering, nor, at the other end, having it easy; having what we want; people who have everything sometimes don’t really live life to the full, simply because they have everything

Living life to the full as Jesus offers it, is not about having this, or avoiding that – it is entirely built upon the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep.  Having the confidence to know that God is good, that our lives find meaning in his goodness, purpose in his purpose, in knowing the power of the spirit within us that is the source of the connection, we find, paradoxically, true flourishing. Because we are safe. Because Jesus is the gate.

I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.

.

A child and father are about to  cross a fairly unstable  bridge. It’s very shaky.

The father says – it’s ok, put your hand in mind.

No way, says the little girl, I don’t want to put my hand in yours – you put your hand in mine.

Why, says dad.

Because if I have to hold on to you, I might let go.

But if you hold onto me, I know you won’t let go.

God is holding us holding us in relationship with him, and with creation; holding us in relation with our spouses, our family and our friends, and indeed with our enemies; holding us in relationship with the church past, present and future, God  holds us in relationship with each other through the church, through being part of the Body of Christ in baptism; God holds us in relationship with the wider community and world through our mission, and our ministry.  When those relationships – so many, so layered, are allowed to flourish – whether individually, we are rich or poor, gay or straight, in pain or pain free, if those relationships flourish, because God is in them, then we live life to the full. And we die having truly lived.

John 10 NIV – The Good Shepherd and His Sheep – Bible Gateway

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann – Greatest Poems