Scripture ~ “These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on. If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crushed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last.”
Luke 6:47-48 The Message
Spiritual Focus ~ “Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ Yoga is a method to Experience the Within.” Jagadish Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, Indian yoga guru, spiritual teacher, and author
Breath Prayer ~ Inhale, One Path, Exhale, Love
Devotion ~ Holy Week is a time to pause and reflect on Jesus’ teachings as a foundation for living a life that is healthy, loving, and honorable as a precious gift from God. Jesus’ stories of healing and his teachings on what it means to be blessed, to suffer, to love your enemies, be resilient and nonjudgmental were both powerful and challenging. Imagine drawing an infinity thread through all these teachings and reflecting on what it would mean to work Jesus’ words into the foundation of our life. What if the words of his teachings became real practices that would draw us into and build a community of love and unity?
As with many radical messages of love, Jesus’ teachings weren’t well received by those who were comfortable with the status quo. For the Roman government, Jesus’ teachings caused chaos in the population it was trying to control. For the religious authorities, Jesus’ teachings were a counter narrative to what the leaders themselves taught. Of course, the real reason both institutions disliked Jesus’ message was because it disrupted the hierarchical and financial systems that served them. Jesus stayed faithful unto death, to what he knew and taught about the true kingdom of God. Although his radical message of how to live and love led to his death on a cross, it laid the foundation—a method—to live and experience the kingdom of God within us.
So, this Holy Week let us pause and reflect on the sacred teachings of Jesus from the sermon on the plain as well as the traditional Holy Week scriptures. Throughout the week, Yogadevotion will support you in this journey however you choose to participate. Take time to meditate and imagine yourself in the passion narrative, experience Jesus’ passion, the one path and foundation of love.
