In the Garden
Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
Photo By: Image by Franz W. from Pixabay
During the second week of Advent, our pastor referenced locusts and honey in his homily -- what John the Baptist ate as he prepared the way of the Lord. As he spoke, it reminded me of a song I used during a witness talk three years ago on mercy, brokenness, and hope -- Crows and Locusts by Brooke Fraser.
The song is heavy, but at that time in my life, the locusts had come and plagued my life. The imagery and metaphors in the song spoke profoundly to me.
Towards the end of the song, there is an image of a woman standing at the top of the mountain looking at the failed harvest of her life, recognizing her brokenness, and still hoping, feeling in the bottom of her heart that something will still grow from this famine, plague, darkness, and pit of sin.
She has the will and courage to stay steadfast until it does. Then at the end of the song, in humility and surrender, she realizes that nothing but the blood of Jesus will take away her sin and bring her that wholeness and fruitfulness she yearns for.
As I reflected on that song, I think it points to why we need a Savior and the hope of Advent, the coming of Him to bring forth all the fruit we desire like healing, wholeness, glory, and love, and conquer all the evil, suffering, sickness, and death in our lives.
The readings in Isaiah always touch me this time of year -- contrasting sickness with vitality, blindness with sight, deafness with hearing, lowliness with greatness, poverty with abundance, and famine with fruitfulness. In many ways, it’s similar to the contrast of locusts and honey. Locusts are famine and devastation. Honey is fruitfulness and creation.
Sometimes our lives look like the locusts plaguing our fields. Suffering. Sin. Death. Abandonment. Betrayal. Evil. Lack of fruitfulness. We need to turn to our Savior for mercy and the path forward, because he will come to guide the way to wholeness, freedom, and fruitfulness.
“What can take away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” -- Brooke Fraser, Crows and Locusts
About the Author
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, wellness program manager, and certified health and life coach. She volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul Society serving the poor, is an active mentor to many individuals, and a prolific writer. Her writing interests and focus areas include spiritual development, reflections on the Gospel life, Franciscian spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and work/daily living. She is the published author of Called to Corporate: Lessons of Growing in Faith and Holiness from the Corporate Cubicle.
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