OUR CALLING BEYOND UNDERSTANDING
“It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.” – Mk. 1:7-11
In past years, I often wondered why Jesus felt it necessary for him to receive baptism at the hands of John the Baptist since he certainly had not sinned and had nothing to repent. I see now that he had to do this as a demonstration of his humanity, his solidarity with our humanity.
Sometimes I have felt God calling me to something that I didn’t understand or which overwhelmed me, but when I responded, I found that my obedience had caused my entire life to be changed forever into something richer and more fulfilling. This happened when I joined the Catholic Church, when we signed up to be foster parents, and when I began to publish my poetry.
When poetry is done right, it is both personal and revealing on many levels. I used to be pretty shy, and I was resistant to the idea of publishing my poetry, but I found that I had to become transparent to the entire world, to strangers. In the great and powerful gift that I have received from my obedience is that I am liberated from being concerned about “what people think.”
Nude in Black and White
With every word I write
I strip away the seals
that guard the inner linings of my soul.
My dreams walk naked in the light
For all who care to read.
A nude in black and white,
as slowly I reveal my secret meditations
with stroke of pen.
Sharon Sullivan