Psalm 119: 49-72
Deuteronomy 9: 13-21
Hebrews 3: 12-19
John 2: 23– 3:15
In John 3:5-7, we hear Jesus tell the Pharisee Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Nicodemus takes what Jesus says literally and it does not make sense to him. Jesus reiterates, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (NIV)
I believe all human beings yearn for a spiritual connection to something greater than themselves, whether they realize it or not. This human longing crosses all cultures and exists without regard for any particular religious affiliation (or lack thereof). For Christians, religious observances guide us in our spiritual journey, but so often we miss the point. We sometimes get so preoccupied with going through the motions of our rituals, especially during a season such as Lent, that we forget the reason we are engaging in the practice in the first place.
Jesus talks about being born again, about allowing the Holy Spirit to give new birth to our spiritual selves. This can happen if one is open to it. I’m not talking about being “born again” in the sense that we have achieved some goal or have had some specific revelation and then we’re done. To me it’s a continuous, life-long process through which we are open to the Holy Spirit in all aspects of our lives at every given moment. It is a state of awareness that ebbs and flows. As Jesus says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NIV)
Evelyn Snow