Ascension day

 Ascension Day - What’s it all about?

Did you really want to leave?

Were you not worried about how we would cope?


Yes we knew you told us you would be going

but this was the second time you left us.


You beat death.

So why did you have to go again?

It was like another bereavement for us,

did you ever think about that?


And how daft we must have looked

left standing staring up at the sky

like a partner stood up on a date.


Oh! 

So it okay 

because 

you had someone tell us 

to go home and wait.

Wait for what?

How were we supposed to know

what we were waiting for?

We didn’t know what you meant by

a comforter.

You being there was all the comfort we needed.


So we went home and waited.


Waiting

its what our nation

had been doing for centuries.

And you finally came,

and we your disciples

believed in you,

well most of the time,

apart from running away

or denying you

but hey your a hard one 

to pin down.

For a while 

we like others 

had waited

you weren’t quite what we expected

and it took time to get our heads round that.


So we waited 

and shared our stories about you

and….

and to blow our minds further

we recalled 

you did say 

‘If we had seen you we had seen the Father’.


So from what we saw

and what we heard….


The Father

‘God’ 

is nothing like 

what we thought.

I mean

you talked to women,

to gentiles,

to our oppressors,

to people on the edge,

and you, 

well you 

welcomed them,

accepted them,

forgave them,

loved them.


Even when you knew 

they had been doing wrong

you still believed in them

showed them mercy

showed them forgiveness

showed them compassion.


You told us stories 

like the prodigal son.

So now we know the Father

comes to us,

and before we can even say sorry,

he embraces us

no judgement

no punishment

no exclusion

just come on in.

The Father seems to always err 

on acceptance.


The Father

doesn’t take notice 

of what others say 

the Father should be like.

And you didn’t

as you sat at the meal table 

with tax collectors and Pharisees.

You were comfortable 

in your own skin.

Something to do with 

knowing

where you had come from 

and where you were going.


Oh so this is why

we had to wait 

yet again.

To recall 

that having seen you 

we have seen the Father

and that

now we know 

that if we are 

to truly follow you

we know 

what we are going to have to be like.


One day people will

say WWJD

when faced by issues.

What Would Jesus Do?


Well we know…

don’t we?

Have we the courage to be …

compassionate

peacemakers

merciful

forgiving

accepting

patient

gentle

the hall marks

of Christ-like people

showing Christ-like Love.

Showing 

the 

Love of

God.


Okay

we have waited.

Now 

pour out your Spirit

we are ready.


© Mark Goodhand for Ascension Day 9th May 2024

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