This blog provides a meditation on the daily readings of the Episcopal Church along with a headline from world news:

EGYPTIAN COMMANDOS RESCUE ISRAELI DIPLOMATS 

Philippians 3:17-4:7

17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. ¹⁹Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 4¹Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice^* in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The beyond is mirrored in human lives

This passage shows many aspects of Paul’s character and ministry:

1. 1.      His forceful, vivid language “whose God is their belly”.
2. 2.      His gift of illuminating his thought by an unexpected metaphor: “But our citizenship is in heaven”. Roman citizenship was eagerly prized and involved accepting the laws of Rome. The believer’s citizenship detaches him/ her from earthly things. We behave as if we already possessed the transformed body which is to be ours.
3. 3.      The personal dimension of the “shared life of Christ”:  Euodia and Syntache are praised and encouraged along with Clement and others, “whose names are in the book of life”, that is, they are citizens of heaven.
4. 4.      The note of joy which allows “militant” Christians to be gentle, trusting in God’s goodness.
5.  The quick vision of something “beyond” which is nevertheless amongst people: “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ 15But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. 16And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

Baptism of Jesus by He Qi

Jesus is always depicted by Matthew as the one who fulfils the Torah, who brings it to perfection. His relationship with God is expressed in obedience. His loving obedience is recognised by the divine declaration: this is my son, the beloved, with whom I am delighted. The graciousness of this relationship, symbolised in the descending dove, is open to all human beings. In Christ each and every person may be the beloved child of God. That’s the gospel. Thinking of oneself in Christ as a beloved person was emphasised in modern times by Henri Nouwen (The Beloved) but was more wonderfully and subtly set out by Julian of Norwich in her “Showings” (14^th century)

“It is God’s will that I see myself as much bound to him in love as if he had done only for me all that he has done, and so should every soul think in regard to her Lover. That is to say, the charity of God makes with us such a unity that when it is seen, nobody can tell one from the other.”

The only true answer that Christian people can give to the question of 9/11 is the love of God in Christ in which we are bound to love one another.