The Ascension

Here's a brief meditation for the Feast of the Ascension from Richard Rohr

I remember once seeing a painting in a European museum of the Ascension. It was rather huge, and at the very top, right beneath the frame, were the bare feet of Jesus as He ascended into heaven. It almost felt comic. Most of the painting was the apostles looking up in various poses of fear, confusion, and awe. It struck me that the Ascension was the final stage of His human life, and every human life, when the material world returns to its spiritual Source.

The Ascension is about the final reunion of what appeared to be separated for a while: Earth and Heaven, human and divine, matter and Spirit. They are again one, and it was important that we see ordinary human feet going into heaven! If the Christ is the archetype of the full human journey, now we know how it all resolves itself in glory.

I like the thought of the 'ordinary human feet going up to heaven' ...'Earth and Heaven, human and divine..' are indeed separated for a time, for a while...but one day they will be reunited.

In Tom Wright's 'Simply Jesus' he speaks about the Temple in Jerusalem as the sacred space where Heaven and Earth unite - where the Divine and human meet.

Jesus saw himself as the Temple, in Him Heaven came to Earth...that Temple is now in the other space which we call heaven...

St Paul developed the idea as the church as the Temple where God is present...He is present by the Spirit who was given at Pentecost...