What can love do today?

John 2:1-10

This is the story of Jesus turning water into wine.  On the physical plane of apprehension, it is hard to grasp.  How could anyone do that?  But of course, Jesus was not just anyone.

On the plane of the sacred, the edge of our world of comprehension stretching into the beyond, stories of this man Jesus are told.  Inspiration.  Possibility.  Question.  What could this mean?  How can this story be useful to me and to us?

As I meditate upon it, I recognize this.  With love, the simplest things can be turned into works of beauty, joy, and even intoxication.  These actions and their results can be a blessing for others. Think of beautiful and inspiring art, for example. 

Think of a wedding itself: Two people joining together to form one, bound together in love for one another, and enriched by their knowledge that their love is not physical attraction or selfish joy, but a mystical blessing that will transform their life’s journey in ways that cannot be imagined at the outset – or – as is true for many of us – we thought we could imagine it – but the reality and the blessings were beyond us – life turned out beautifully, as it would, as an expression of the blessing of love.  Something simple – a me – turned into something far better – a loving partner for life. An us blessed by love.

I can’t turn water into wine.  But I can be inspired to consider what the stories told about Jesus might mean for my life.  And I can share these stories – cast them to the wind – and let them be.  I shall remain in thanks for what I have been given.

The world sees plenty of nice, simple things destroyed by people whose vision does not go beyond their self-righteous greed and limited knowledge and insight.  Tawdry.  Destructive. Sad. And wasteful.

Those of us pursuing a life anchored in and beckoning us toward the good that is not of our making alone – but is the making of love, inspiration, teaching, choice and practice – pursue other outcomes – outcomes that bless others as well as carrying ourselves to heights above any we could scale alone. Water into wine – not wine into brine.  I am thankful for the possibilities that love illuminated and make possible.