One of the standards of what came to be called “renewal music,” songs for worship from the Charismatic movement of the 1960s and 70s, was “I Am the Bread of Life,” a staple of many a church retreat. (No YouTube link – each version is more lugubrious than the last!).
Its verses, verbatim renderings of Jesus’ statements in our gospel passage, are probably not the reason for its enduring popularity. It is the refrain, with its sweeping lift,
And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, / and I will ra-a-ise them u-up on the last day
that made the song such a hit. Your spirit rises as you sing.
Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day..."
This highlights an interesting facet of resurrection theology: that it is Jesus who will raise us up on the last day. I had never thought to associate the Son of God with this function. I may be over-interpreting one line, but it strikes me as yet another reason to get to know him in this life. Because I wonder: is the last day the only day when Jesus raises us up?
That question caused another Christian song to set itself on continuous loop in my brain – "You Raise Me Up," popularized by Josh Groban. This too has a swelling chorus and uplifting lyrics, and roots Jesus’ assistance in the here and now:
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains / You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders / You raise me up to more than I can be.
Though it sets up a comical image of balancing on Jesus’ shoulders, like a child getting a good view at a parade, it does remind us that we live the risen life here and now, not only there and later. And at times when we don’t feel very “risen,” we can invite Jesus to activate his life in us again.
Which generates a third musing on “raised” – Jesus as the yeast that causes us to rise and become the bread of life in the world. He may not have intended that association, though elsewhere he likens the Kingdom of Heaven to leaven. But here it is – a wonderful image for how the life of Christ works in us. Just as yeast is proofed in water, so his life is made real in us through baptism. And then it works through us, kneaded by our formation as Christians, by life's hardships and challenges, by wise and wonderful mentors. And it raises us into the life of heaven, from the inside.
Where do you need “raising” today? Ask Jesus to raise you up, and then say thank you, even before you see how that prayer is being answered. After awhile, you might notice something has changed. And when you do, say thank you again, and maybe write it down – even tell someone.
When we are low or weary or feeling powerless, we don’t have to call on the power of heaven from outside. We can ask God to activate the Life of heaven already at work within us. And we will find ourselves raised up – at the last day, and every day until then.
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