The heaviness of nothing

One of my nieghbor’s pumpkins in their garden; Aptos, CA

When we approach the table for communion, in a sense, we come empty-handed. We bring nothing of merit to the table.  

But then again, we actually come heavy-handed to the table. Our hands are full of sadness, bitterness, fear, anger, grief, insecurity, pride, lust, envy, greed, etc.

We come heavy-laden with this stuff that burdens us so! Our lives are so often consumed by it.

And all of that same stuff,
in God’s economy,
amounts to nothing.
Zero. Zilch. 

When we receive the bread and wine, we are brought into vivid remembrance that all we have in us is… Christ. Blessedness. Anointedness. All the rest of it is gone. It doesn’t count against us one bit. All of it is absorbed and transformed by the unending grace of God. 

It’s dangerous, this radical forgiveness and mercy. Scandalous, even.

Enough to get someone hung on a cross, in fact.