WORD WEEK 01-06-06 CLAIM YOUR BAGGAGE Part 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WORD WEEK 01-08-06

CLAIM YOUR BAGGAGE PART I

EZEKIEL 12:7 KJV

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my baggage by day, as a captive's baggage, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it upon my shoulder, in their sight.

The gifts have been opened, the tree trimmings have been removed, the splendor and radiance of sparkling lights have gone on sabbatical until Advent 2006, the New Year is now in full swing, and many of GOD'S people have already implemented travel plans for the season of Spring and Summer. Whether one's destination is near or far, travel ignites a sense of excitement and anticipation; expectation and anxiety; immediacy and delay. Whether one travels by foot, automobile, train, ship, bus, or an airplane, the one feature that travel has in common in all six modalities is the necessity of packing; i.e., the transport of baggage.

One month ago, Christians around the world were witnesses to the season of Advent. During that time, we were witnesses to the journey of life and death which the Betrothed Virgin, The Wise Old Man, and, significantly, the Christ-Child were required embrace. The journey that they were required to take consisted of excitement and anticipation; expectation and anxiety; approach and avoidance; hope and fear as well as a plethora of human emotions from which we draw inspiration and meaning today now and millennia to come. Significantly, we learned that The Holy Family packed only that which was essential and were required to leave behind both the comfort and familiarity of loved ones, family, friends, community, safety, and treasured material possessions that had helped to render meaning to their existence. In essence, they had to relinquish familiarity and embrace that which was clandestine, except to the heart, soul and mind of GOD!

In essence, The Holy Family were required to travel, for in doing so, they were destined to deal with the issue of carrying baggage. Importantly, There are four ways in which we carry baggage: 1] Physically; 2] Emotionally; 3] Psychologically; 4] Spiritually. Sometimes, When one travels, there are instances in which the transport of baggage is essential. At other times, no transport of baggage might be required at all. Nevertheless, far too often, many of GOD'S people have become increasingly acclimated to carrying baggage, that they are no longer cognizant that they are carrying baggage as this baggage has become a critical aspect of their self-definition as well as their worldview. Consequently, they are no longer aware of the degree to which the weight of that baggage weighs down their hope, healing, transformation, happiness, insight, empowerment, development, joy, peace, deliverance, and impedes their ability to meaningfully connect to others.

As the events unfold in the Narrative of Ezekiel 12:7, The LORD rendered spiritual direction to Ezekiel who has witnessed the narcissism of GOD'S people. Circumstances had become so horrific in Jerusalem that it would not be long before GOD'S people would eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land would be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who lived there. The inhabited towns would be laid to waste and the land would become desolate. It would not be until such a time that humanity would come to know and reckon with the sovereignty of the LORD. Consequently, Ezekiel's actions would function as sign/metaphor to set forth Zedekiah's flight out of the city when the Chaldeans took the city. The text reads as follows:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. 3 "Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house. 4 During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile. 5 While they watch, dig through the wall and take your belongings out through it. 6 Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel."

The LORD petitioned Ezekiel to pack his belonging for exile by day as others watched and during the evening to go out like those in exile; i.e., cover his face so that he could not see the land. The logos of GOD was in fulfillment phase at this time and Ezekiel's actions; i.e., that of packing his baggage and leaving in the manner and at the times aforementioned were designed to get the attention of GOD'S people who no longer viewed their self-preoccupation and extreme self-indulgence as a form of baggage carrying. As many of us allow ourselves to be present to this reality, we can still hear the swift winter winds sing of the presence of difficult times and divine danger in the air. Already in the year 2006, we have been witnesses to pandemic suffering in the divine infancy of the month of January! Help us GOD!

Moreover, what is so compelling about baggage carrying is that God requires that we carry it out into the opening before we move to action and to a place that we might obtain relief. GOD requires both our attention and surrender in this endeavor. Ezekiel states:

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my baggage by day, as a captive's baggage, and in the even I digged through the wall with my hand; I brought it forth in the dark, and bore it upon my shoulder, in their sight.

Significantly, while unquenchable anticipation and unrestrained hope have now come to cosmically divine fruition, the embrace of "TRUTH" has become available to him/her who are amenable to hear. What might we do if we had to dislodge of such baggage? Who would we be? Where would we go? How would we face ourselves, not only in our mourning, but in the morning as well as throughout the day many of GOD'S people muse? Importantly, we do not know quite where to begin, much less fathom or integrate the coexistence of "LOVE" and "TRUTH" of this caliber as we are invited to embrace a deeper awareness that no one has ever loved us like GOD does! Moreover, while the marriage and the manifestation of prophetic fulfillment and the eschatological incarnation has embodied itself in the presence of the Christ, "REASON" evades our consciousness and our grasp as the boundary of GOD'S LOVE knows no depth, no height, no breath, nor scope for which "anything that was," "anything that is," and "anything that shall be" can elude its presence.

Reluctantly, the PEOPLE of GOD must reckon with their baggage! Carrying baggage might represent a myriad of challenges and invites for GOD'S PEOPLE: For some, carrying baggage might represent a lineage of strong family ties, tradition, a regal blood line, or a lucrative inheritance; for others, carrying baggage might represent status quo, a rote existence, or one's acceptance into the circle of the elite; still for others, carrying baggage might represent the desire to remain connected to a relationship that is unhealthy and unproductive, a friendship that is barren, but perfunctory, a self-concept that perpetuates the illusion of self-importance as it has become confused about the owner of such unclaimed and displaced baggage; even still for others, carrying baggage might represent one's marriage to rejection, depression, loneliness, failure, shame, co-dependence, anger, grief, guilt, self-entitlement, and placing others on probation to vindicate and/or ameliorate one's own woundedness.

In essence, there are far too many of GOD'S people are in the baggage carrying business! Far to many of those of the faithful community have no movement in their lives as a consequence of their own complacency and unwillingness to look on the inside to not only see what is hurting, but why as well as the source of such hurt? Becoming cognizant of our baggage is like that of going to the Baggage Claim Department in the Airport. As each of us stands around the conveyor belt, we look for the baggage that has our names. Ironically, have you ever been in an airport and observed someone grabbing the baggage of someone else? Have you ever been in an airport and not notice your own baggage and believing it to be the baggage of another, dismiss your own baggage?

Consequently, claiming one's own baggage enables him/her to live a liberating life when it is claimed with openness, acceptance, tenderness, grace, love, and awareness of its impact on others who might be bumped, intentionally or inadvertently, by our baggage when we are passing through GOD'S AIRPORT. Significantly, a word of caution must be expressed here: It is not a life-affirming option to abandon one's baggage without self-inspection and the inspection of others.

Consequently, For some persons, a trip to Baggage Claim this time of year will bring the unexpected closeness and love of family and friends and security, yet for other persons, this same trip to Baggage Claim will heighten the lack of closeness, potentially fuel exclusion, recapitulate loss, and deflate hope. Nevertheless, Beloved of God, you must claim your baggage as the failure to do so will result in a cosmic threat on either your life or the quality of your life! As we approach the counter of the Baggage Claim Department in GOD'S AIRPORT, let us do so with a greater degree of reverence and intimacy to GOD as we are compelled by our potential under the light of the brilliance of the CHRIST, convicted by "TRUTH" for the baggage to which we have tenaciously cleaved, and enraptured in the presence of GOD'S healing love!

In essence, the presence of light and truth not only exposed us and others to our baggage, but GOD'S love, mercy, and grace sustains while we remain and heal from the weight of carrying such baggage!

As we enter the Baggage Claim Line we hear the following: "Welcome to the Baggage Claim Department Sir/Madam: Your name is____________________? My name is JESUS and I will be assisting you with your baggage with the accompaniment of My FATHER and The HOLY SPIRIT!"

Next Week: RELEASE YOUR BAGGAGE Part 2


K. Mason
(c) 2005

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