Dust

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Acts 1:3b-5

Jesus appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized in water, but in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.”

Dear Friends,

There was an old blessing spoken over disciples starting their discipleship process: “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.” May you walk so closely behind your teacher, mimicking your teacher, listening intently to your teacher, that you are literally covered with the dust from the ground that his sandals kick up as he walks ahead of you. May you follow so closely to the Way, the Truth, and the Life that you become covered in the dirt from the ground you were formed out of.

May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.

Jesus’s disciples spent three years covered in his dust, but certainly didn’t feel equipped or ready to cover anyone else in their dust. And then Jesus died. The One who raised the dead was dead. The Light of the world snuffed out. The Way no longer found. 

The dust settled over those three days as the disciples wondered where to go or who to follow next. Until it got real dusty again when Jesus overcame death, undoing all hopelessness and despair. Every shattered dream and broken expectation starting coming back together again for the disciples through Christ’s resurrection from the dead. 

We read in Acts how Jesus connected with a bunch of people over forty days, and spent significant time with his closest followers and friends. Things were definitely different but his message was still consistent: God’s Way in the World is here-and-now, so keep following my example, keep staying in my dust, keep loving people really well and participate in God’s Way. 

God’s Way. The kingdom of God. 

I love how Jesus keeps showing up in their lives over those forty days with the same dusty message as before and doing the same dusty things as before, like good conversations while eating good food. Jesus just rose from the dead and yet his message hadn’t changed: you are loved, receive this love and live out this love. 

While the message and day-to-day life hadn’t changed, something else had changed for them. They were told to wait and allow the dust to settle once more. As a group of “doers” waiting is really hard. When you’re known by your accomplishments and how many items on your to-do list were checked off each day, waiting, resting, silence becomes an irritating interruption to production.  

But just because they were waiting didn’t mean God had stopped moving. Sometimes we are invited to wait so God can prepare us for something else. We’re asked to wait so the dust around us can settle a bit and new perspective might arrive. There’s an Advent in the waiting where we release what we expect and can make room for what’s unexpected. In the waiting we can better let go of  our prediction and make room for possibility.

While those three years of dust settled on what they had known, they openly waited. 

Instead of the dust of their rabbi around them, covering them, the Holy Spirit began kicking up dust within them. No longer were they waiting for their rabbi to move and them to follow. Holy Spirit began moving in them and through them and does the same today in and through you.

Friends, as you wait, may you release your predictions and make room for possibility. And may the dust of your Rabbi swirl in and through you as you love each other well.

With (love),

Bethany