If I asked you to make a list of your most important connections what would you include? Your list would probably look similar to mine. My list includes my connections to my wife Karen, my children, the ministry at St. Luke’s, my alma mater UF, my friends, my dog Cooper, and more. The interesting thing about these connections is they all essentially require me to do something. My children expect me to feed them, my dog insists on affection, St. Luke’s wants me to be good at my job, and my wife…well we don’t have enough space for that 🙂
I’ve been thinking about my personal connections in the context of our theme for this school year “You are not alone…you’re connected!” based on John 16:32b-33. In the list above, I left out my most important connection – and really the only one that matters. That’s my connection to the cross of Jesus Christ. And that connection is different from all the others in that it requires nothing of me. Jesus did and does all the work. He lived a perfect life, He gave his life on the cross for my sins, and He rose from the dead in victory all for me! I am the recipient of His amazing grace for which I did nothing. As we end the season of Lent and look ahead to Good Friday tomorrow and Easter on Sunday I encourage you to reflect on and embrace your connection to the cross. It’s the only one that matters. He is Risen! And because of that truth we have a connection that will never be broken and will last for eternity.