As we journey together through Lent, Christians throughout Columbia will be sharing their own beautifully written personal meditations. Each will be accompanied by a corresponding scripture reading, and be linked to that passage in the Holy Bible. If you would like to join us on Columbia’s Lenten journey, please submit your personal meditation by email. Especially meaningful submissions will be printed. Let us continue our Lenten journey, day by day, to its glorious culmination on Easter Sunday.
Scripture reading: John 6:16-27
These verses from John are rich in meaning, calling us to confront fear with faith and reminding us that the most precious nourishment we can receive are gifts of the spirit. These excerpts are also rich in imagery and metaphor with the untroubled waters, the perilous sea and the distant shore juxtaposed later with depictions of safety, security, plenty and fulfillment. When speaking of life’s challenges, writers through the ages and we ourselves frequently employ images of water in describing our plight. We think of being in the depths, of being overcome by waves and not being able to reach the distant shore.
When the disciples became frightened by the tumult of the storm, Jesus urged them to cast away their doubts and move forward in faith, with the sure belief that the dangers assailing them would be overcome. Welcoming Christ into the boat with them, the turbulence in which they found themselves was calmed and they were brought to safety.
The next day, on the opposite shore, throngs arrived in pursuit of a meal. Christ told them not to be driven by the quest for material comfort or physical safety, but instead to seek the more enduring gifts of the spirit, the bread of life that He offers.
Certainly, in the challenge of life, we wonder how we will endure. It may be difficult to believe that dark clouds will disappear and that the sun will break through. When faced with life’s difficulties, we are reminded that material possessions are of no consequence. Instead, we must call on spiritual resources to sustain us. Our faith enables us to call on the sustenance that endures, the faith that sustains us with the peace of the Holy Comforter.
Warren McInnis Hughes
University of South Carolina,
Alumni Development Coordinator
Columbia, South Carolina
You might also like to read:
- Bible Verse of the Day
- Daily Bible Guide
- Growing in Christ
- Bible Study Tools Online
- The Jesus Walk Bible Study Series
A discussion of today’s Lenten meditation is encouraged. If you would like to participate, please feel free to write a comment in the space below. There are many different outlooks and interpretations of scripture passages and, the more we share, the more we learn.
Sharon is a member of the Community Church of the Midlands that meets at Seven Oaks Community Center at 200 Leisure Lane in Columbia and is a frequent participant, with her husband Douglas, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral located at 1100 Sumter Street in Columbia.
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If you enjoyed this article, you can find more at Sharon's Columbia Biblical Studies Examiner homepage.
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