Passing beneath Christ’s outstretched arm
Part 2: Born again
Jesus said we must be born again, and no-one is quite sure what that means, certainly not me. But perhaps it means this action. That, as once we entered the world through such a confined channel, to the pain and joy of our mothers, so now, if we are to live, we must pass through this narrowest of channels, beneath his arms, barely enough room to breathe, yet in agony and exaltation, the path between hope and despair, peace and fear, compassion and hatred, forgiveness and anger, life and death is open, and somehow we squeeze through. But we do not realise till we are through that this path is only open because Christ is exerting all his force of love against the forces of fear and hatred and anger and death. As his life ebbs away, he gives his all to ensure that the way is open for us.
So, if we will let go of our dignity – as though we had any of that – and bow our heads beneath his arm, under his gaze, if we will squirm and wriggle and scream in fear but still struggle through, and most of all, if we pass beneath his arm and look upwards into his face of love, then we pass through, and the whole of life opens up to us. A new life, unimaginable if we had not seen the look of love on his face, as he looked at us. Christ’s arms are stretched out, and we must pass beneath them if we are to live.
Spiritual Devotion 