For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
-John 3:16-17

'Saved' is a funny word. We save a lot of things. We save money, or try to. We save time. We save the earth, or the trees or the spotted owl -- or maybe we don't. There are lots of not very religious ways of using the word.

But for anyone that's had much on-going contact with Christians, 'saved' is also a word that's weighed down with all kinds of religious baggage. Some of you can remember the first time you knew you were saved. Others find the question "Are you saved?" to be a difficult one, and you'd rather not answer. But however you react to this word, there's no getting around it: it's been important to the church for a really long time.

The gospel reading for this week contains one of the most well memorized Bible verses ever: John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." I know, I know: the word 'saved' is nowhere in that verse. But if you go a verse further, there it is. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Being saved can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and that's just fine. But these two verses in John remind us of something that's at the heart of Christianity's understanding of salvation. It's rooted in God's love for the world. Whatever salvation means to you, however you understand the connection between Jesus and salvation, it starts with the love that God shows to us and to all of creation.

In the Bible, we find all kinds of meanings and images to go with the word 'saved.' It means being delivered from danger. It can mean healing, and restoration. It can involve protection from an enemy, or forgiveness for sin. In the some of the Hebrew words that we translate with 'saved,' we find the image of being given space when oppression or sinfulness crowd us. In many of the New Testament texts, we find salvation relating to what happens in a life after death. All of these images are part of the Bible's witness to God's saving work in our world and in our lives. It sounds a little contradictory, but God comes to us in many different ways.

God's gift of salvation -- the gift of being saved -- is one of those blessings that we've already been given, and it's one of those blessings that we're still waiting for. That's the paradox of the Christian faith. Salvation comes in the ways that God works in our day-to-day lives to restore us in body, mind, and spirit; as individuals and as a community. But salvation is also what we hope for in the future, the Kingdom that is still on its way.

As we journey through Lent, the word 'saved' is a great word to carry with us. Let it simmer in the back of your minds, and in the back of your hearts: how does God save you? What salvation do you look for in the future? How do you experience God's salvation in the here and now? What helps you to respond to God's saving love, and to share it?

Go in peace.

-Sara