4-27-2024 7:20pm

Strong spirits: life

Photo: Inna Kapturevska

If you are reading this, we have at least one thing in common... Life!

And at this time of year, it seems that life is showing up all over the place! You can't help but notice the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the grass. After the sleep of winter, life jumps out at us everywhere. And all of life is a gift to us from God. But there's more. Jesus, who is life, offers us himself, and an eternal, abundant life.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life and the life was the light of man. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)

"The thief comes to kill and to still and to destroy. I have come that you may have abundant life." (Jesus (John 10:10))

"I an the way and the truth and the life." (Jesus (John 14:6))

All of life emanates from the source of life. To live in him is to live fully, freely, eternally. I'm in with that. How about you?

Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.