Taking Up Stones

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?" The Jews answered, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God." Jesus answered, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'? If those to whom the word of God came were called 'gods' - and the scripture cannot be annulled - can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, 'I am God's Son'? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, "John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." And many believed in him there .John 10:31-42 

Taking Up Stones

We can take up stones to skip them

delighting as they dance across the water

or we can take them up in anger's rage

and righteously take a life.

Our hands can embrace another tenderly

as they weep in deep loss and pain

or we can squeeze the life out of someone

whose voice we need to silence now.

As ones called the children of God

baptized into a holy family of love

stardust and ashes are we

capable of creation and destruction.

May today be the day we take up stones

to make the heavily burdened dance again

using our hands for tenderness and blessing

finding hope again in the dimming light.