Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Today’s meditation is on changing our lives by changing our thinking.

 

So, just before Jesus bursts on the scene in the Gospel of Matthew

The no-nonsense, utterly serious John the Baptist

Comes with an utterly serious message, Repent

In the Greek, metanoeite,

for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven? A new era in history

Has begun: The era of Jesus,

When ordinary, heavy-laden frazzled people can, just like that,

Squeeze through a narrow gate into an inner new world,

The invisible but real Kingdom, described by the Apostle Paul

as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 

Who would not want this?

 

What is this narrow door into a bigger, happier life?

It is to repent, in Greek metanoéō. From meta, change, nous, mind

Repenting literally means to change one’s mind, to think differently

 

And that is the way any real change begins in our lives.

We change how we think about things.

We are “transformed by the renewing of our minds,”

In Paul’s lovely phrase in his letter to the Romans.

 

It is all gain; it is, seriously, a wiser, better life,

To cultivate what the Apostle Paul calls

“The mind of Christ” as we consider the issues of our lives

(And it’s common sense to cultivate the mind of Christ

Because Christ’s mind is far cleverer, more incisive,

More original and startling than ours could ever be.)

 

Metanoia, repentance, thinking differently

Can mean mentally seeing Christ standing between us

and the questions, puzzles and uncertainties in our lives.

We see the problem we face bathed in the golden light of Christ,

And we ask him to show us what he thinks about it.

 

For instance: to take an issue which obsesses many people today:

Conforming to a socially-enviable body shape

Can consume much mental, emotional and physical energy.

But God created both hippopotamuses and cheetahs.

His delight in us, his amusement as he sees us,

Is not dependent on whether our BMI is 18, 25 or 30,

Whether our dress size is 2 or 14. God who made our bodies

Loves and values them more than we do,

Just like as the author of the book loves it more

than the one who bought a copy.

God, who made us, thinks we are fabulous.

So rest in his love.

 

And so metanoia, a new mind, thinking differently, repentance

Means rejecting vanity-based worries about appearance

While realising, that, of course, God does want us

To do everything we can do

To have a strong, flexible and healthy body,

So as to have the strength and energy

To do the unique work He has called us to do,

For as long as we live on this earth.

 

So rather than being a reed swaying in the wind

Of the latest dietary pronouncements of the latest self-promoting guru,

Metanoeite, think differently:

Change your mind for the mind of Christ

 

Put your body, your health and your lifespan

Into God’s hands, and ask him,

And then trust him to guide you beyond

The latest pundit’s latest Noes, Noes

To eat blessing,

To eat the food which will be a blessing

To your individual and unique body, rather than a curse to it.

 

Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

Metanoia, having a new mind, thinking differently, could mean

Asking the Spirit,

Whom Jesus says will teach us all things

To show us the light and easy way

To build joyful movement into our lives

Creating a body that will remain flexible and strong

For the rest of our lives. We must ask Jesus

Who promises us joy to teach us the right,

Most energising movement for us, say, yoga for flexibility,

or hefting weights for strength, or long-distance walking or running,

Flooding the mind with serotonin, and dopamine,

and slowly changing the deep structure of our brains.

We might also ask the Spirit to show us how to get strong and muscly

in a way consistent with love, perhaps incorporating vigorous housework

and gardening into our routines, as well as long walks with family and friends.

 

Being mindful that Jesus said that those who will not

Deny themselves and take up their cross are not worthy of him.

We remember that Christ says that his future disciples

will fast, and even promises us a reward for it.

(A reward from God!! Wow!)

Fasting, for the right periods of time for each of us,

blesses an overtaxed, overweight body,

and saves both time and money. Far better

than wasting brain space and emotional energy

In dietary obsessions.

 

And, as we take on the challenges life throws at us,

Like changing our bodies, if need be,

Changing our houses if decluttering or organizing is needed

Or waking earlier as the Spirit leads

We remain aware that we have a tender father looking at us,

Aware that to him we are as beloved toddlers are to a good human parent

Aware that he is a wonderful God

A compassionate and gracious God,

Slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

As He described himself in his self-revelation to Moses in the Book of Exodus.

 

Let’s breathe.

Oh God of resurrection, who brings dead things to life

Who can do more in a few minutes of good ideas and multiplication

Than we could in years, we put into your hands,

Our perplexities and ask you for wisdom,

We give you our questions, and ask for your answers.

We love you. Increase our love,

We will trust you. Increase our trust.

Amen.

 

This meditation is on Matthew 3:2

If you’d like to read my previous recorded meditations,

4 Do not be Afraid–But be as Wise as a Serpent

3 Our Failures are the Cracks Through Which God’s Power Enters our Lives

2 The World is full of the Glory of God

1 Mindfulness is Remembering the Presence of Christ with us.

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