A couple of decades ago my friend took me with her to donate blood. I’m forever grateful for that experience. The next time I donate will be my 75th donation. Each visit there is usually a volunteer who reminds you that one donation can save three lives. So cool!
There are a number of things I appreciate about giving blood: the snacks of course, and feeling cared for. But what I deeply appreciate – deeply, deeply – is that when I’m lying in the chair and my life-blood is emptying into a bag beside me, I can look around the room and see people of every ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, height, weight, cultural background – all doing the same thing. We are all sharing life. Once those blood bags are enroute to an emergency room or transfusion appointment they are blood, simply blood. Life saving blood.
If this isn’t an expression of the kingdom of God on earth, I don’t know what is.
This Sunday will mark the first in our four-week series on prickly words. And, you guessed it, our first word is ‘blood.’ The three weeks following will explore ‘sin,’ ‘obey’ and ‘Christian.’
We all have reasons for avoiding words like these from fear to self-protection. I pray that we hold this series lightly, that we don’t presume what we’re going to hear, and that we remain curious for new learning and new understanding to enter us.
After all, the goal of those who first explored, practiced and wrote about these topics was to find a way back into the loving embrace of God.
And, isn’t that what we’re after?
See you Sunday!