A popular meme on social media about fall says that the trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go. I am not particularly good at letting things go.
Jesus invites his follower to give up their lives (Matthew 16:25) – an extreme version of letting go. It’s not something most of us aspire to in the literal sense. But there’s a way in which following Christ is always about giving up our lives, in order to orient them toward the One who loves and holds us. The Greek word for “life” in Matthew 16:25 is “psuche” (pronounced soo-khay) or self – meaning our whole self. What does it look like to let God into our whole lives? Can we invite God into our fear or hurt or shame? How might it feel to allow ourselves to be completely embraced by God’s grace? Might letting go look different when we remember that we’re already held?
This message is excerpted from “Letting go” by Lisa A. Smith from the September/October 2021 Gather magazine. Today is the Fall Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.
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