مقلوبة maqluba (the Arabic for "upside down") and also one of our favorite Middle Eastern dishes. Maqluba aptly describes what is happening in Italy as another earthquake struck this week. Our hearts are broken as the lives of many have been turned maquluba.
The article's focus was of the lives of nuns and monks affected by last week’s earthquake in Italy however one statement struck a cord with me.
"We have started to accept once more that our life is not our own and God has altered our path once again…”
Isaiah put it like this, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, in vain do they worship me…” Jesus echoed these words in Mark 7 adding, "You leave the commandment of God and hold the tradition of men.” It is so easy to lose focus of the why. Who are we praising? Who are we adoring? Who are we hallowing? We worship the worship, we adore the tradition all the while forgoing our Father.
Sometimes we need our “religous life” turned maqluba. We…I…need all the relics, all the icons, all that mess scrubbed away. And there, when there is nothing else, but Jesus, we worship, even in life’s earthquakes.
Father, too often have I made it about emotion or person preference or public show. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. I beg you to never cast me from Your presence. or withhold Your Spirit from me. Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment