Devotion for November 12, 2020 from Pastor Barbara Caine of Holy Redeemer:
Devotion for Thursday, November 12th
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11
On Saturday, I received this photo from Kay Aldridge. She lives in Arizona and snapped this image on her morning walk. She wrote, “Hoping this morning was indeed a dove of peace.”
I didn’t realize why she said that until I took a closer look at the picture and gasped. If you look at the golden highlights to the left, you’ll see a beautiful dove in the clouds. Kay pointed out that it has a golden crown. It may be too small an image for you to see the dove but it’s a stunning picture all the same. This image, with its golden outline, lifted my heart in this difficult time. Somehow, God was speaking to all of us in the skies of Arizona, and called Kay to share it with us
Was this the same kind of sky that appeared at Jesus’ baptism? I can’t help but think so. Mark describes what Jesus saw, “…he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.” What did that sight mean to Jesus?
Now, Jesus knew what he was getting into. Life is no joke, but when all of creation spoke to him and to us in a golden sunrises, hope seems possible, and a new day, because of God’s grace, is born. Amen.
In Christ, Pastor Barbara