Wednesday, June 11

The Lord brought them out of darkness, and broke their bonds asunder...he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
—Psalm 107:14, 16

Again the Scriptures speak of rescue, of God leading those he loves from darkness into light, from captivity to freedom; of prisoners, their chains broken, set free from behind doors of bronze and bars of iron.

God’s shattering of prison doors in this song of release reminds us of Jesus’ disregard of locked doors after his Resurrection. The doors of the upper room where the disciples were hiding were shut, John tells us (John 20: 26), “but Jesus came and stood among them.”

Locked doors, barred windows, our own inner darkness...even death itself cannot keep God out.

The Eastern Orthodox icon of the Resurrection bears witness to this powerful truth. In the Western Church, we image the Resurrection with the empty tomb, or Jesus standing by his own sarcophagus, the sleeping Roman soldiers all unaware of the miracle before them.

But the Orthodox icon invariably shows Jesus breaking down the doors of death and hell (sometimes vanquished devils can be seen, squirming helplessly beneath the door), firmly grasping Adam and Eve by the hand to take them with him into the Resurrected life of Easter.

Risen Lord, help us to believe that you are with us everywhere, that there is neither door nor darkness that can keep you out. When we feel imprisoned and afraid, come to us and lead us by the hand into your freedom and your purposes.

The Signposts for June are written by Deborah Smith Douglas and originally appeared on explorefaith.org in May 2005.