Titles have never been my strong suit.
I used to write regularly for a Christian newspaper, and no matter how hard I worked on the titles for my articles, they would inevitably be changed in the editing process. Today when I write a sermon, the title often comes to me last, only after the sermon is finished. Even as I write this article, I’m saving the title until the end.
So when Abingdon Press invited me to write a Lenten Bible study for 2017, I didn’t mind at all that the title had already been chosen. To follow up their previous Advent study called God Is With Us, the editor had chosen Christ Is for Us for Lent. The two titles worked together beautifully—the God who is with us during Advent and Christmas would become the Christ who is for us during Lent and Easter.
For the next months, as I lived with the Revised Common Lectionary texts for the Lenten season, I continued to deepen my understanding and experience of Christ is for us. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well with respect (John 4:5-42), when he gave sight to the man who had been born blind (John 9:1-41), when he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45), he showed that he was on their side. The presence of deep social division, disability, and even death did not prevent him from reaching out, coming alongside, and transforming their lives.
For the rest of this article on how Christ Is for Us today, please join me on the Godspace Community Blog – Christ Is for Us. It’s a privilege for me to be part of the Godspace Writers’ Community which emphasizes “spirituality, sustainability, and social justice. Our hope is to give opportunity to writers from diverse backgrounds – age, gender and ethnicity – to express their viewpoints and thoughts while at the same time creating a network of friendships that span the globe.” For more on my new book, visit my book page: Christ Is for Us: A Lenten Study Based on the Revised Common Lectionary.
April Yamasaki 