"Whoever wishes to be first among you
must be slave of all"
Mark 10:44

I have a little story to share with you, silly but true. When I was a little girl, I would lie on my bed, kick my feet up in the air, hold my legs with my hands, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h my feet toward the ceiling. Then, I would pretend I was walking on the ceiling. It looked so different up there ... a lot less crowded, for one thing. I would put the ceiling fan on low, (high would be disastrous!), and imagine lots of food circling around like a giant automatic lazy-Susan. I liked Upside-down World, but due to my weary legs, I could never stay there for long.

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus keeps turning the world upside-down. One day it is surprising, shocking news about healing and forgiveness, and the Son of Man's authority on earth to forgive sins and heal bodies. Another day, Jesus rocks the boat and the disciples by calming even the wind and the waves. Jesus is always doing upside-down things like welcoming the least and blessing little children.

God in Christ Jesus turns upside down the whole flipping universe in his death on a cross and resurrection from the dead. "Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all." Flip-flop, there we go again. We like to be takers, consumers, users, and gobblers, and yet, we are to be servants ... to give of ourselves and our lives to our brothers and sisters and to God.

But Upside-down World is hard, and my legs are tired. The good news is my legs aren't just my legs, but are connected to the body of Christ. My strength for life in the Upside-down World comes from the nourishment of the body of Christ, the community of the baptized and the body and blood of Jesus the Christ.

Lord God, deeply rooted here on dusty earth, help me to serve you by serving others. My feet firmly planted in the heavens, help me to remember I am called and claimed by You, the Living God. Amen

Contributed by Vicar Mary
Published Monday October 20, 2003
Week 47 of Liturgical Year B