A dash of thought - April 2021

Concentric circles

A calm water surface lies before us. Someone takes a stone and throws it in. Concentric circles form. Very close to the stone throw they are strong waves. Further away they become weaker, but they radiate out in circles far out on the water until they are barely visible to our eyes.
 
The image often comes to mind when I think about what is at the center of the Christian faith and how effects become visible in the circles that emanate from the center. In these days we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4). This is the center of the Christian faith. We are closest to this center in the celebration of baptism and the Lord's Supper. The unique baptism as the beginning of the journey with Christ and incorporation into his body, into the "one, holy, universal and apostolic church". The regular celebration of the Lord's Supper as assurance and strengthening on the journey with Christ.
 
Celebrating these two sacraments together connects us to the center of faith and to each other. These are the strongest waves at the center. Further away, in everyday life, they become weaker. And yet they all come from this center. I wish we would talk more often about what good waves the center of our faith sets in motion in everyday life. In all our diversity, it would also have a unifying power. Let us try...
 
On Good Friday and Easter 2021 - Bishop Patrick Streiff