John 17:12-19    

What is gravity?

Gravity is a force of nature that you experience every day. It’s produced by all matter in the universe and attracts all pieces of matter, regardless of type. The Earth produces gravity and so do the sun, other planets, your car, your house, and your body.

Gravity pulls things and beings towards the center of the earth.

In 1687, the story goes that Isaac Newton wasn’t paying attention while sitting under a tree [I guess kind of like Buddha?], and then an apple fell on his head.

Eventually, Newton—busted up head and all—came up with the law of universal gravitation.

Every object in the universe attracts every other object in the universe. The amount (force) of the attraction depends on the mass of the object.

So, for example, you’re sitting in front of your laptop. That laptop is actually attracting you, but you don’t feel it, because the mass of your laptop is so small compared to the mass of the Earth, there is no physical pull.

Newton’s law also says that the greater the distance between two objects, the less the objects will attract each other. So the farther away an object is from the Earth (or any large body), the less it will weigh. If you stand at the top of a tall building or a massive mountain, you will weigh less than you do when your feet are on the ground at sea level.[1]

Gravity has inspired that well-known phrase:

What goes up must come down.

In fact, some of you may remember a song that begins that way; a little Blood, Sweat, and Tears, and Spinning Wheel

Now you may be wondering why the heck I am talking about gravity. Well, this part of John’s Gospel is all about a really, really, REALLY long prayer of Jesus of Nazareth, and it’s a prayer for and about the cosmos.

And it’s a prayer worthy of a bigger space [like outer space]; but most importantly, it’s also a symbolic affirmation of gravity itself.

What goes up must come down.

You see, when most people think or talk about this thing called prayer, they assume that prayers are said to some god far off in the heavens. So prayers are lifted up to the heavens, right? That’s why incense is often used during prayers. In my opinion, this is why many people in the West actually don’t pray or meditate all that often, because prayer is reduced to some sort of religious ceremony in a temple, sanctuary, or building. Many people even claim that they cannot pray without the presence of a religious leader who can tell them what to pray.

And yet, any devout Muslim, Christian, Jew, Baha’i, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, or Pagan will tell you that prayers can be said anywhere.

There are no “more important” prayers that one can lift up than the humble prayer of a small child hoping that her mom’s illness will get better; or the dad praying that he will find a job; or the teenager praying that the bullying will stop; or the old woman praying that she will feel no pain when she passes from the earth.

But of course, we’re only human, and so we still have the tendency to place greater importance on certain prayers, and in this case a prayer attributed to Jesus in John’s Gospel. It’s a continuation of the vine and branches metaphor, as Jesus is hoping that his friends the disciples and all his followers, and all the world, may be one as he is one with his Abba.

If you think this prayer seems long, you’re right. Its text takes up nearly 1/5 of John’s Gospel. For sure, this prayer has been analyzed to death as people try to make sense of its apocalyptic nature, theology, John’s community and context, etc.

And there are traditions like “ascension day” in certain Christian circles that may include this prayer as Jesus’ farewell before he disappears into the heavens.

Or, until he ascends, that is.

And while I’m no “high church” expert, and nor am I one who observes ascension day, I will say that this concept is gaining some ground with me.

After all, what goes up must come down.

Think about this for a moment.

All of this prayer is about unity. It is about relationship; and interconnectedness; it is about protection, comfort, and assurance. And God’s reign of love and mercy and peace on this earth, as it apparently is in heaven.

What goes up must come down.

So if we take gravity as not just a physical force, but also a holistic force that is included in our spiritual and mental practice, prayers lifted up must come down.

What ascends to the heavens eventually descends.

So rather than thinking of Jesus and his life and teachings as something that POOF! went away in the blink of an eye, because, well, he went up to heaven, we say….

What if this unifying, beautiful prayer was lifted up so that it would come back down?

What if Jesus, as John’s Gospel clearly says a million times, was “lifted up” for more than just disappearing, but for the purpose of reappearing?

What goes up must come down.

Imagine if we stopped obsessing over what Jesus or God do in heaven or what we need to do to get to this heaven.

Imagine if we thought that everything we prayed for was lifted up, only so it could come back down to us?

Maybe our prayers would be different?

What if prayers always come back to the earth to stay, in the form of everyday life?

What if there is no such thing as the divine presence staying up there in heaven?

What if the divine is here, feet on the ground, in you and in me?

Now that’s pulling us to the center of something, isn’t it?

Prayer, meditation, or any sort of conversation within yourself that seeks a deeper connection with the divine, or a deeper connection with yourself—pulls you towards your center. You are grounded, on this earth, and this is your identity.

We are all children of the earth, and not of heaven.

We are meant [and made] to be one together—not just with Christians or with those who look and act like us—with all children of this earth. We are meant to be one in our humanity, because we all utter prayers or look up sometimes or cry out or wonder or worry or cry or shout joyfully or calmly sit or clasp hands or lift hands or simply wish for things to be better, or more connected, or more peaceful, or more compassionate.

And this binds us together, because what goes up must come down.

If we express our desires for a better world and for loving and compassionate relationships, and for justice, and for love—what goes up must come down.

This day, take a moment for meditation, or prayer, or whatever best suits you. Take a moment. Lift up all that you wish for your life and the lives of others, and for the world. And then, be aware, that what you lift up will eventually come down.

And then you’ll have the opportunity to make those desires a reality on this earth.

[1] For Dummies, Boning Up on Gravity.