Come and die

“When Christ calls a [person], he bids [that one] come and die.”

 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

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I am called

You are called

We are all called by God

To come

Come to the table

Come to the wedding

Come to me

Come above all to the cross

Come to that place

Where things die

Greed

Hate

Anger

Fear

Ego

Come to that place

Where having died, you come alive

To hope

To peace

To joy

To love

It seems weird does it not,

To say that in order to find life, we have to taste death

But God is always a little weird

And so it is

We have to let go of everything

Perhaps even life itself

For as long as our heads, our hearts, our souls

And yes, our hands are full

We cannot participate in the way of God

If we do not let go of our love of money, we cannot give

If we do not let go of our love of power, we cannot walk the way of service

If we do not let go of our hate, we cannot love

If we do not let go of our essential selfishness, we cannot be focused on others

If we do not die, life is lost

Both figuratively

And literally

If we do not die, we really die

I am called

You are called

You are called

We are all called by God

To come

Come to the table

Come to the wedding

Come to me

Come above all to the cross

Come to that place

Where death and life become one