While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. Luke, ch.24

The story of Jesus’ ascension ‘up into heaven’ has been rich fodder for Christian art and not a few cartoon classics. And for good reason — who doesn’t love the image of Jesus’ cute little feet dangling out from the bottom of a fluffy, white cloud up in the sky?

But underneath this rather strange image is an incredible statement of faith — that not only has God’s divinity come among us, but that our humanity has now come to God.  If there was ever any doubt about God’s understanding of the human condition — about our strengths and weaknesses, our doubts and fears and hopes and dreams — there’s no doubt anymore.  Jesus has taken it all up to God.

So what?  What’s the big deal?

Well, if we’re to be faithful to this God, in whose image we’re created, then we must be very intentional about cultivating our own understanding of the human condition — never avoiding it, but approaching it with openness and sensitivity.  To love this world as God loves it, we must love it for what it is — knowing its strengths and weaknesses, its doubts and fears and hopes and dreams — and then, like Jesus, carrying all that with us up to God.