Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:19-29
When folks see photos of our daughters, they often say how much they look like me. In my children and grandchildren, I can see pieces of my parents and grandparents. We are all interconnected and can never not be interdependent. We get gifts, skills and challenges from our families. We gain knowledge and experience from our families of origin and the places and culture we live in. And often, as teenagers, we reject our upbringing and are mortified by our people. As we mature, we realize how we have been formed by our families, and the lasting effect they have had on us. Jesus is trying to explain the closeness and interconnection between the Creator and himself. The father, parent, Creator is the source, and we are bound to our Creator.
Loving Creator, source of all life
we wander and stray yet you find us
like lost sheep we get away and stuck
yet you come and find us as we cry.
We are part of a great cloud of witnesses
even when we fail to acknowledge them
we stand on the shoulders of the faithful
and are connected, bound together as one.
Help us to be the family of our Creator
living as those who live love and justice
who care for the least and the outcast
making us all your beloved children. Amen.
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