March 19, 2025
Change, Now
Something to think about: I Corinthians 12:12-27
We were at the exhibit of Alice in Bloomland at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario last week. The greenhouses were full of orchids, bulbs were blooming and in the middle of the snow it was absolutely lovely. Everything looked so alive. Displays were set up to mirror scenes from Alice in Wonderland or Alice through the Looking Glass, with people taking pictures in instagram-like settings. ..
Including this one. It’s from the part of the story where the Red Queen insists that all of the white roses be painted red. No exceptions. Every rose, no matter what its colour, has to be red.
Until I saw the life-size figures painting huge roses, the horror of this never really hit me.
If these roses get painted, they will die.
If these roses get painted, they will never achieve the full growth that they were meant to have.
If these roses get painted, they are reflecting the wishes of the Red Queen, not the image of their Creator.
I know that it’s a children’s fairy tale, but the image is still stark.
During Lent, we celebrate the journey of Jesus–someone who calls us to come and follow Him as we are, in the image of the God who created us. He calls tax collectors and sinners and women and fishermen and priests and homemakers and centurions. He doesn’t make them all fishermen, or all centurions, or all tax collectors. Jesus loves disciples as they are. Our identity as image bearers of God has nothing to do with what we look like on the outside.
I’ve heard people who want to use the gospel for assimilation or negating a person’s identity. They promote uniformity as a hallmark of the reign of God, rather than unity in the body of Christ. I’m wondering if they ever thought through the mixed-up group of people Jesus called to follow, and the way that Jesus included everyone who made the choice to follow Him. The motley group of disciples would have never met the Red Queen’s request for uniformity. That’s not what is in the Bible.
God is not like the Red Queen, forcing us to change our identity or who we are. Christ came to call us back to God, fully and completely, and help others to get there too. That means all of us – our gender, our sexuality, our body type, our mental and physical challenges –God loves all of us, and wants us to live fully as we are in the love of Christ–not to be painted over so we ‘look’ good. Jesus was willing to give his life so we could live fully in God’s love. That’s more powerful than any paint or Red Queen. Ever.
May you know the love of Christ and be affirmed in the identity that God has given you as you follow Jesus.
Peace in Christ,
Rev. Susan
.