and I used to think that
there was some great deliberation
Way before all of this…
some war room briefing
strategic planning party
Conference room 5 minutes
like looking at a board of chess
and They were weighing
and They were measuring
and They, counting up their options
and there was this long slow pause,
deliberation,
wondering, is this the right choice?
cost – benefit analysis
cause and effect
and I think
I used to think about my sin
and I would think about what it cost my Savior
on that cross
and I would think
wow
You must have went into this situation
very cautiously very measured
like You made a pros and cons list
to help the decision-making process
Is this kid really worth it?
I used to think that way,
but now I just think that You laughed
I think that You would say,
here is a way to save,
and it is perfect
and without question God, You would redeem
without fail and You’d just laugh
I consider that great overflow of love
among the Father Spirit Son
each One in perfect love.
do you know that saying
about perfect love casting out fears?
so those painstaking deliberations I once thought They had, I no longer think They had,
I think They just said ‘ey Let’s go get ’em
I think They just laughed
And it was probably a deep deep laugh
a laugh of joy
Thunderous
a laugh of absurdity at the situation
At the notion that the enemy
would have God in checkmate in anyway
Laughable
and that little giggly
laugh of anticipation the child has before you tickle,
that you might have when you see the setup,
Start guessing what the punchline might be
– get ready for it
I think They laughed without a worry
without a hesitation
for God so loved the world that He gave recklessly. unless you’re in love it makes no sense
And there’s no sense in making that move
Unless they change and move to you first
But this? No this was a lover’s laugh
Stand out in the middle of the rain
With a boom box blasting the favorite song of your love into their window laugh
What does grace sound like?
It’s that laugh yes, that effervescence…
But it’s also the work.
And I believe that, before it all, yes, They laughed
But I wonder if the sound changed, when the Son…
Left home?
At the incarnation like, Dad I’ll be right back in….
33 years…. And a cross.
And in the grand scheme of things it just may be a moment or a flicker
But it is the moment at the center of all moments
The flicker into flame of the truest joy…
All time proceeding and preceding
The Cross section of the 4 plus dimensions
Or 10 plus dimensions
Or 26 plus dimensions
To think that this perfect union of Trinity would be broken for a season for us.
The pivotal pivot point
What does grace sound like?
Hearing the words I’m sorry and forgiving
And even forgiving before those words are given.
Like, while we were yet sinners…
I believe They once laughed regarding the plan of our salvation…. But then there was the Garden of Gethsemane… in the Garden….
Grace?
The sound of friends sleeping when you ask them to watch and you don’t put them on blast.
The sound of blood red sweat falling in a garden…
Watering seeds of life
the words if it is possible, yet… not my will, but yours be done.
Grace?
Dying for love.
Being killed for love.
Grace? Sounds like
Put your swords away
Afters whispers of betrayal,
and restraining of the angels that could be called for vengeance but are commanded to stay home,
hold ground, because He would be there soon.
For My Kingdom is not of this world
Grace?
Like silent forgiveness for liars, false accusers, and thieves.
Not a mumbling word
Like the silence of a lamb led to slaughter
Like the silence in the slaughter
Like flesh torn by whips,
Like slaps on the face
Like sham trials
Like being spat on
Like going through the dying process
Or more like… the being killed process
Like footfalls on the way to Golgotha
Like falling on the way to Golgotha
Like gasping for breath
Like bearing the Cross
Heaven seems so far..
So far away…
Never farther away
From the place of the skull
Like the tearing of clothes
And the beating
Brutally, naked before a crowd
Like the thud of a hammer on nails
And the sound of nails into flesh
Swallowed by the thud of hammer on nails.
Like blood clotting
Like strained muscles…
Like taking the cup
And drinking the cup
The fullness of God’s wrath against the sin of humanity
The absence of His presence
Like Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani
And like
Into thy hands I commend my spirit
Like the temple veil tearing
Like the sky darkening
And enemies laughing because they don’t get it yet.
Like a spear in the side
Like water and blood pouring out
Like dead weight lifted from blood red wood.
Like a body readied for burial.
Remember they brought him myrrh, when He was born?
Like myrrh preparing a body for burial.
Like the Savior of the world being buried
And all of the powers of darkness and death rejoicing because they think they’ve got a prisoner
Trapped in there with them
But that Sinless One?
Oh it’s a whole lot more like
You think I’m trapped in here with all of you?
You’re all trapped in here with Me!
Like the folly of Satan’s mistake catching up to him, the fool.
What does grace sound like? Amazing Grace sound like?
Like taking keys and taking back authority.
Like the power to forgive.
Like death linen unraveling
Like stone on stone as stone rolled away
Like death’s schemes unraveling
Like darkness in the valley of the shadow of death getting all lit up by the rising Son.
Like, I bet you didn’t see that coming?
Gasps of disbelief and the message of
Resurrection.
Like He’s not here anymore.
Like homecoming and home going
The sound of the laughter of a carpenter,
Eating a meal with once sleeping and fretful and denying and scattered friends
A carpenter with
callused hands that healed, but still have their holes
with eyes like fire, burning with God’s heart, with echoes of perfect Union and seeds of Resurrection and righteousness, the birthing of music.
Up from the grave He arose!
And heaven and nature sang!
Of freedom
A freedom that we are free to walk in now
Which is just a foreshadowing of ultimate freedom one day to come
A sampling, a taste test
First fruits of the table He is preparing for us in eternity
Christ in you the hope of Glory
The redemption of our bodies
Funny bones get tickled when I think about it
and I can’t help but produce this sound, of jubilation at the truth of the moment,
naked, bare, and unashamed.
Resurrection.
Death defeated.
The bum.
Perfect love perfected through death and resurrection.
Casting out all fear of embarrassment, a laugh, a guffaw, or maybe a guttural. A Holy moment.
The feeling behind what time was made for, like the decoder ring, the commentary,
the- so you get it now?
and oh the Revelation But you were already laughing because of the very texture of it, getting enough of it without having the bandwidth for comprehending it all, like I need to update my hardware before I can process it or render it in 4k, but the camera was built waiting for that day*
As is creation, as are we
Anticipation in celebration
As we get glimpses of it now
In the empty tomb
what grace was won for us!
Resurrection.
Easter morning for we mourners.
Jesus lives in love.
Go do likewise.
Make some noise
Make some joy
Make some grace
It is sweet
It is amazing.
And through the Resurrection of Christ
It is ours
The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ which we celebrate on Easter Day and everyday can be found in Matthew 26-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, John 18-20.
There’s lots of songs on this, but this one was new to me a few days ago and worth the share. I think it does the job pretty well:
Uncle Reece – He Died and He Rose
* – I owe the origins of this idea to a conversation with Jeff, who told us about cameras and types of filming that have been done at heights of quality that surpassed the current level of viewing or consumption in their time. The conversation came back to me as I was writing this and it seemed to fit perfectly.
Video credits and info
Audio recorded on Google Pixel 2 XL
Video created on Google Pixel 2 XL using PowerDirector for Android https://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdirector-video-editing-software/features_en_US.html
“Blue Light Streaks 3” visual from Videvo https://www.videvo.net/video/blue-light-streaks-3/1911/
“Desert Night Sky” visual from Videvo
https://www.videvo.net/video/desert-night/240/
“Lens Flare Through Palm Leaves” visual from Videvo, by Videvo.net, Kiril Dobrev https://www.videvo.net/video/lens-flare-through-palm-leaves/5563/
Festival of Booths 
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