More of the Story: Ascension

When (Jesus) had said this, as (the disciples) were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” ~ Acts 1:9-11
Good Friday and Easter free us to think about other things far beyond our own personal fate, about the ultimate meaning of all life, suffering, and events; and we lay hold of a great hope. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

"Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?"

 Hey, disciples! There's still work to do!

 The ascension of Jesus is a tricky thing to understand. Along with the Incarnation, the Trinity, and the Resurrection itself, it sometimes feel impossible to wrap our minds around it.

 So, maybe wrapping our minds around it isn't what we are meant to do.

 As 21st century Christians, we have a more advanced understanding of how the universe works. Rather than dividing it up neatly into two halves: heaven and earth (not taking hell into account), we know that God's universe is one...and that it is complex and seemingly infinite.

 But there can be a tendency - and even a comfort - in dividing things up into halves and then looking up to heaven for answers. 

 Or in the case of the disciples, looking for Jesus to come right back.

 But from the beginning of this second half of the resurrection story, God sends a clear message that looking to heaven for answers isn't what our call is.

 Waiting for Jesus to come back isn't it either.

 Living a resurrected life is.

 If you are like me, you may never understand the ascension. And really...that's OK. Our faith isn't dependent on logically being able to explain it.

 But maybe we can all understand that post-ascension, together we have a place in the ongoing story, and how our part of the story is meant to serve a world in need.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to living into your story of resurrection and help me to share a resurrected life with your creation. Amen

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