StillSpeaking Devotional “Walking Off with Jesus” by The Rev. Kaji Douŝa

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NRSV)

Inspired by students at Yale Divinity School, I’ve been thinking about the cross in relation to Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf.

The lady in green begins her monologue with words that hit in the Year of our Lord 2021: “Somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff.” Something was stolen from her.

Amina Shumake, in a meditation on the cross and the lady in green, said that when we come to the cross, we are there specifically because something has been stolen from us, too. Her closing words: “This is for colored girls who considered the cross but are moving to the end of our rainbows.”

And I don’t know about you, I am at the end of my rainbow.

Are you? Maybe you’re tired. Or can’t take it anymore. If you’ve hit a wall with this pandemic. If you feel that you can’t even get up in the morning. You.

I send you the blessing of God. It is for you.

On the cross, Jesus couldn’t take it anymore, either! He couldn’t take it, but he did. But, early Sunday morning. He. Got. Up. Somebody almost thought they were gonna get away with walking off with our Jesus.

But God had other plans.

When Jesus got up: he paved the path for you to get up, too.

Yes you.

God’s blessing of grace is for you.

So wipe your eyes, beloved. We’re not dead. You are still alive. A living and breathing soul with a body that may be weary but is not spent.

Listen. The power of God could breathe new life into a corpse. And if God can do that? It’s time to imagine, right now, what God can … and will … do with you.

If God can animate the sinews of death?

See, right now, what God can animate within you.

Prayer

Make these bones into dancing on your rainbow of promise, Holy One. Amen.

The “StillSpeaking Daily Devotional” series is produced by The United Church of Christ. The original article is here.