Little Girl Rise

                                                                   Little Girl Rise

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

Talitha koum, He calls. “Little girl rise” (Mark 5:41). Enter in healing. Enter in the call to stand. Enter in wounded no more. Enter in, Jesus. Enter in the call to rise and be healed.

The Gospel of Mark tells the story of a twelve-year-old girl who died. Jesus saw a commotion and immediately entered the disarray. He asked what was happening. They told Him the little girl had died. He told them she was just asleep.

What did they do? They laughed at Him. So what did He do? He put them out and with three of the disciples and the parents, they entered the area where the little girl lay. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (Which means, little girl rise.)

What did she do? It says that the little girl immediately stood up and began to walk around. He then told the others to give her something to eat along with strict orders to not let anyone know about this.

I suppose once you’ve been laughed at, it would not be a good plan to tell of a miracle that just went down…or one could risk being mocked once again. Jesus was wise in what He ordered, and as I’m no theologian, rather just one in the trenches of life, I suppose I would look at this as wisdom at its finest. Why? Because Jesus protects…that’s why He came, that’s why He had rules in place, and that’s why He gave His life. He did all things out of protection and if He ordered them not to tell, you can bet it was for their greater good…for their protection.

Protection is a beautiful thing. We always feel much safer when we have healthy boundaries in place. After all, it’s safe to drift when we’re anchored. Tethered to wisdom it offers safety to launch. When the buoy’s in place we swim more freely because we know the area is all netted off…and it is safe.

Moorings offer security and allow us to wade into the deep. Deep down we know when it’s safe to wander because we know to whom we are anchored. We can set sail knowing due north is homeward bound because the compass says so. We can rely on the compass.

At times the internal needle spins on the compass. New norms pull us into testing the ties that bind. Toes in water set ripples to wander out like radar. How far can we go without causing .waves? The ripple effect falls on others as we test the waters. Time spent drifting from shore lures us into the swirling waters of confusing temptation.

Yet, He is in the storm. He is in the boat. He is the anchor, the buoy, and the net all in one. He is the water. Life-giving waters they are as “He is the One who was and is and is to come” (Matt. 11:3). He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the Fist and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 22;13) He is who He says He is. When He calls, we can rise because He anchors. “He is our refuge. He is our strength. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And we may rise knowing He is the One who not only lifts us, but carries us.  Amen.