• About The Sophia Center

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

~ Spanning the denominations in NY's Southern Tier

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Tag Archives: roof

Up On the Roof

16 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Capernaum, faith, forgiveness, God's grace, Jesus, labor, Mark, opportunity, paralytic, roof, surrender control, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

We recently had the roof over our kitchen repaired. It wasn’t just the addition of a new layer of shingles. Because it had been leaking, the roofers had to take off what was there down to the wood layer to make sure everything was tight and secure so we would be warm and dry this winter. Having helped with a roof myself once, I know what a labor-intensive job it can be.

Clearly, construction in the time and location of today’s gospel story was different. Mark (2:1-12) talks about the great crowd that had gathered to listen to Jesus at his home in Capernaum such that there was no room for everyone “even around the door.”  When four men who arrived carrying a paralytic on a mat couldn’t find any way in, they just “opened up the roof above him and after they had broken through, let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.” I always found that a rather stunning line both because it was an ingenious way to get the attention of Jesus and because of their ability to actually accomplish the feat – to say nothing of the fact that they were defacing someone else’s property. It didn’t seem to faze Jesus, however, so I’m thinking that the roof was easily repaired. It appears that Jesus was impressed by the ingenuity and the faith of the four men and his response speaks to the importance of community as well, I think. Mark says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.'”

Sometimes we need to rely on others when we are unable to manage on our own. Whether it be someone to drive us to Church or to sit with us during a time of suffering, perhaps it is our willingness to surrender our need for control of the situation that will bring us the solution or the peace that we need. The by-product is giving someone else the opportunity to be God’s grace for us in that moment in whatever creative way s/he is able and willing to be. But I’d suggest trying to find a solution that keeps us on the ground.

Donate to The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Donate

Our other websites

  • Main website
  • Facebook page

Visitors

  • 100,496 hits

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,046 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • The “O Antiphon” Meditations
  • Memorial to be held this Sunday
  • Mark your calendars
  • A note to readers
  • “Hope Springs Eternal…”

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • The Sophia Center for Spirituality
    • Join 560 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Sophia Center for Spirituality
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...