burn

burn

“And they said to one another, “Did our heart not burn within us, while he talked with us, and while he opened to us the scriptures” [Luke 24:32]

In this story found in the bible, the disciples had just had the weekend from hell pretty much. They had lost their best friend, found out they were wrong about a lot of stuff they thought they were right about- basically their world at that moment in time was filled with hard news to handle. Enter Jesus in disguise. 

It might seem strange but I can relate. I don’t know about you but so often I open my Instagram (or whatever social media outlet you prefer); looking for a few moments of light distraction and instead I encounter a world on fire. News of Sarah Everard, George Floyd’s murder and a subsequent trial. India facing the highest daily coronavirus death toll since the pandemic began aaaand the list goes endlessly on. Interspersed throughout these harrowing taglines are: funny memes, an interesting thing my friend just did last weekend (why wasn’t I invited? Should I be doing more fun things?) and also maybe an inspiring quote or motivational picture here and there too. There’s just too much to process and also a paralysing sense of helplessness at all the chaos in the world. Simultaneously, I feel a creeping sense of dread that I don’t know how to engage well with what’s going on around me. Is it ok that I just want to share a post about some delicious pizza and beer I had one random Tuesday night? My emotions violently oscillate between too many extremes of feeling.  There is the creeping sense of injustice burnout. Enter Jesus in disguise. 

A few chapters before this scene in Luke 24, Jesus was coming into the city of Jerusalem triumphantly riding on: a donkey. The very same people who would later shout ‘crucify him’ were at this moment yelling ‘Hosanna to the King!’ praising him.  Translated literally, ‘Hosanna’ actually means ‘save us now!’ not necessarily an accolade or praiseworthy word, more a spontaneous heartfelt outcry for justice and help. In the wake of all I see and feel powerless to fix: systemic racism, people’s greed and wilful neglect of their environment, the crisis of modern day slavery in our clothing and chocolate and coffee chains - in the wake of all this injustice, I feel myself feeling like the Israelites during that passover weekend: Hosanna! Jesus save us now! 

But maybe now, like it was back then for those disciples along that journey, justice and redemption is not going to come looking like how I expect it to. Maybe it’s not an entire system being dismantled, but instead hard conversations and heart transformation taking place. Maybe it’s not all the plastic our oceans miraculously going away, maybe its choosing to do the little that I can, having grace for myself when I fall so short as I all too often do.  Maybe in all this injustice it’s Jesus in disguise quietly working to reconcile all things to himself including me and my brokenness and my injustice burnout.  Perhaps Jesus saving me now is less about changing the world and more about me being in it, with it as a loving witness and participant of that work: we have been given a mandate of reconciliation, the participatory work of Christ in us reconciling all things to himself.

Still, it is unlikely in my lifetime I will see the kinds of change my heart longs for, not just in ‘the World’ but in my own small universe of friends and family and inner personal growth- regardless, living joyfully in this present moment is enough. It is in fact more than enough, it is a loud protest to apathy and disconnectedness. When the sin in me and in the world is incredibly loud and uncomfortably close; I am grateful for a faith that promises that now is not everything, this is not the end, this movie has a surprise twist ending waiting to happen. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. My heart can hold the tension of both joy and sorrow, it’s ok. 

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, our hearts yearning within us, even though we have the Holy Spirit in us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies and our natural world to be released from this sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will redeem all things.” Now is not everything, this is not the end, this movie has a surprise twist ending waiting to happen… 

Beloved let your heart burn with a renewed sense of joy and hope even amidst all the pain and injustice. The message of good news that is shared at Easter is not just for April, it’s for now and everyday. May the compelling conviction of the soul’s conversations with the Divine in you stir a passion for His name, to live each day alight and on fire for the things of God; even in the smallest and most insignificant of daily actions, may they be touched by His Spirit making every moment Holy. 

breath in

Gods goodness : there is hope and happiness even in the sorrow of our times. It is holy work to hold the tension of both in your heart with grace and empathy. 

breath out

dispassionate lukewarm living. Do not go passively into this world. Instead burn with the faith of a thousand saints who are a cloud of witnesses cheering you on in life’s daily grind against apathy and disconnection from the Divine in you.

Enjoy your practice! ((it’s 28mins long)

IMAGODEI Wellbeing & Yoga flow for the week

(Christ-)Mindful Tip:

I thought I would share a little tid bit from my christian yoga philosophy training (so fun!)

“Yoga invites us to be present in the moment while acknowledging our past and our ‘hoped-for’ future without clinging to either of those ideas. One way to practice this concept of presence is through the standing postures of Warrior 1 and 2 (Virabhidrasana 1 and 2). In this posture the back leg represents the past and the front leg: the future. 

The back leg is the anchor or the certainty of the pose whilst the front leg anticipates a forward movement or future shift. To find the essence of the pose, that is balance and hope, we can neither live too far in the past nor lean too far into the future. 

We practice drawing both past and future into the present moment, centring both spatially and temporally between the two legs and ideas. When we build warrior poses in this way, we connect our physical yoga practice to the indwelling sense of hope. This centred expression of hope, when lived out in the community becomes the kind of future God envisions for us.”

 I just thought this was a beautiful way to think about Warrior 1 and 2. On a personal note I still love thinking about the armour of God like I’ve already shared before- but in case you missed it in the Whatsapp group I’ll include here as well. 

In Warrior 1 or 2 postures (also known as Virabhadrasana 1/2), imagine yourself on the mat as you are fully kitted out in the Armour of God. Helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith,  imagine in your hand thats pointing up to the sky in the posture, the sword of The Spirit, the belt of truth around your waist- the whole shebang! Ephesians 6:10 says “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is never against flesh and blood” but is more often than not, against the unseen spiritual forces. Jesus turns to Peter in Matthew 16:23 and says to His FRIEND “get thee behind me satan”. So often without the right perspective we can think our friend, spouse, housemate or colleagues at work are actively against us in a moment of conflict or tension or throwaway hurtful remark but really beyond the physical obvious moment is the other spiritual truth that maybe, its the enemy using their words in that moment to knock your confidence, make you question who you are, make you fearful and insecure and doubt your inherent dignity and divinity. Peter wasn’t evil or possessed, neither are your friends or colleagues or spouse lol but the reality of Ephesians 6 challenges us to step into our authority as Children of God to be aware and present to what may be going on beyond the presenting situation. 

When in these postures be empowered and remember how God has made you MORE than a conquer in all this. “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” lean into that truth as you breathe in and out. Know that difficulties and challenges may come but just as you hold this pose and breathe, God will not give you more than you can hold and as you breathe in his Holy Presence and Power on the mat and off, He will see you through whatever comes your way. 

In Warrior 3/Peaceful Warrior posture (also known as Viparita Virabhadrasana) remind yourself of Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” We are called to be warriors for peace which sounds like an oxymoron. But we are to seek peace and pursue it. Imagine “your feet, fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”. This is part of your armour, part of what it means to be a warrior of the faith. Fight for peace in your conversations and interactions with people in your life. In heated “discussion” with someone what would it look like if you were instead to fight for peace in that moment? It’s in these small ways that we bring what we do on mat, off it, into our lives. 🧘🏾‍♀️✨