In the gospel of John, Jesus often speaks of his disciples, his friends as the Father’s gift to him. It is a humble stance of gratitude towards God, which colors Christ’s mission here on earth: holding them in his hands, nurturing them with love and security, trusting that even if they leave his own hand, they will never leave the Father’s hand.
In our own lives, do we always look at our children, our spouses, our family and friends as gifts from God? We know all too well that in an instant, they can be taken away from the love and security we fervently wished to always offer them. Finding ourselves with hearts so full and hands so empty can lead us to clench our fists at life, sometimes even at God, closing ourselves off from giving and receiving love.
Contemplating Jesus’ posture can help us to live with hope and openness. His own life was not taken away, it was voluntarily given. A life that is already given cannot be taken away. And so if we give our lives over to God and everything and everyone we hold dearly in our hands, nothing will be lost. We will be united eternally in the Father’s hands.