MONDAY

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:1-2; Romans 8:22-27

The oldest among us might remember what it was like as a kid to get a model car, plane, or boat. Using airplane glue (and lots of ventilation), a myriad of tiny plastic parts would be glued together, and then, from tiny bottles of enamel paint and sheets of decals, the finishing touches would be applied. Those not quite so old might remember things more like LEGO, sewing kits, or other projects that opened the way to creating something that seemed new and amazing at the time. Crafting, creating, or constructing are all images that we are familiar with when it comes to making something new. But when Scripture talks about the creation of a new world, or describes our walk with God, we often find different images being used. From the Creation story which in the Hebrew evokes the image of a mother eagle hovering over her nest as it describes the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of creation, to the way the passage in Romans describes all of creation experiencing birth pangs as we wait for God’s Kingdom to be realized in all its fullness, one of the images evoked is that of giving birth. Jesus used this when talking to Nicodemus about what it means to become a part of God’s Kingdom, being “born again.” It was not, Jesus said, just a matter of genetics and physical birth, but rather about being “born of the Spirit,” which is a matter of a change of heart. It is not the product of a construction project, but a new life being “born” into the world.

It is not the result of a legal transaction, but rather what emerges from a loving relationship. As you take a few moments today to consider the imagery Jesus used to talk about spiritual life, consider the following:

• What does the imagery of giving birth add to the understanding of what it means for us to find new life as we follow Jesus?

• In what ways does your study of Scripture, prayer life, or other aspects of your walk with God feel more like a transaction than a relationship, an exchange rather than a conversation?

• In what ways are people bound together differently through the experience of making a legal agreement than they are by experiencing a new birth? Explain.

• While the experience of birth is indeed a joyful, celebratory event, it can also have elements of struggle and pain. As Paul uses this imagery to describe how the whole of creation awaits its own “being born again” experience when Jesus returns, in what ways does that imagery give you more insight?

• We might often think about the imagery of being born again from the perspective of the newborn. What additional insight might it give us into God’s experience?

As you continue to reflect on the imagery in today’s passages, take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is surfacing in your heart and mind.