After ten years overseas, one of the new buzzwords I’ve discovered in US slang is “repurposed.” It is somehow stronger than any of the usual “re-” words — reduce, reuse, or recycle, for example. It suggests a more profound change — a change of meaning, of direction, of intention.

Both of the symbols alluded to in today's passage have been repurposed. Snakes were a symbol of plague and sudden death in the desert until Moses lifted one up on a stick. The cross was a symbol of capital punishment and humiliation throughout the Roman Empire until Jesus was lifted up on Golgotha. In both cases, the symbols have been repurposed, becoming signs of healing, wholeness, victory, and new life.

In what ways might God be calling you to repurpose your life? How is God offering you healing, wholeness, victory, and new life?

Peter Hanson