This is my second attempt at this idea and I'm guessing more will be needed. Paul's calling the Gospel a mystery didn't make it so. Paul was simply expressing a nugget of truth he had discovered. One that all who dare to follow Christ will encounter. While I am willing to argue that my faith is a reasonable one, not a foundation-less belief in some fairy tale or vague legend that has been verbally passed down for generations, it nevertheless, leaves me scratching my head a bit. When I apply faith to the compelling evidence of Jesus being who He says He is, I enter a new life. Not a life lived according to a different set of rules and regulations, but a life changed. Not perfect, but being moved to a more Christ-like place. Not through shock treatments and sleep deprived emotional encounters, but through my awareness of God's activity in my life. As I explore this intellectually, I am left with some illogical notions that seem to be, nevertheless, true. Isa. 1:18 says, "Come now, and let us reason together", says the Lord. (then Isaiah goes on to present an UNreasonable offer)
"Though your sins be as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
Though they be red, like crimson, They will be like wool ......."
While God is unspeakably powerful and beyond our understanding and is Holy, (that is to say fully righteous or perfect, complete, if you will), according to Isaiah God isn't saying get your life in order and come back later to finish our little talk here. He doesn't turn His head away from our lives in disgust but presents us with an offer He calls reasonable. Then Isaiah beautifully exposes God's love and forgiveness with the "reasonable" offer that is presented. An offer that I suggest finds its most satisfying expression in Jesus. This is indeed the mystery. Our Perfect, Holy, God is orchestrating the most scandalous of propositions. The perfect man marrying a prostitute and unconditionally loving her. And just to add to the mysteriousness of it, on the wedding day, we get to wear white.
(If you're a music lover, like me, listen to the 2003 song titled "Wearing White" recorded by Martina McBride. It's a great companion to this idea.)
Thank you and have a nice day.
So I'm sitting at the remote ordering station at a McDonald's drive through. Wind chill below "0" with an air temperature of around 9 degrees Fahrenheit and winds gusting over 30 mph. After a long pause I finally said, "hello?". No response. Eventually driving on around the corner to the window I was met by a nice, unapologetic lady, who asked me what I wanted as if this is how things are always done here. "A number 6 with ketchup only and a large sweet tea please". Having observed that a large tea was on sale for a dollar I was looking forward to getting a large drink while paying the usual price for my meal. "That will be $5.09, please". "I thought the tea was on sale", I replied. "Not when you get one in conjunction with a meal", said she. "Oh". "Then I need a double hamburger, just the sandwich, and a large tea". "Ok, that will be $3.42". Geepers, either something is on sale or it isn't. Kinda ticked me off. My wife, a retired McDonald's employee, knew the end of my story before I got there. She remembers people pouring out their coffee right there in the drive through lane because their meal came with coffee, even though they didn't want it. Just seems like there would be some way to do things more efficiently. Doesn't McDonald's want to save money? It's not like the meals are pre-packaged, I mean, they have to pick up the cup and put coffee in it. A cup they bought and coffee they bought and brewed. If it's an inventory thing then they can hire the programmer the Turnpike uses to make it all happen seamlessly and accurately. I know it could be done. Anyways, lets move on to more important things. We start the year off with a new commercial for the Prostate Treatment Center. Gotta love 'em. They always list all the problems related to an enlarged prostate and then offer a solution by way of their center. Someone wasn't paying attention when this commercial was written. I kid you not, one of the questions the "matter of fact" announcer asks is, and I quote, "do you wake up to urinate?". I said, out loud, "my gosh, I hope so". The alternative is called wetting the bed which is a phase I left in my childhood. Look, I know all about this progression of the enlarging of the prostate. It is a reality in my life. But, not waking up to urinate, is not one of the symptoms I don't believe. The two of you would have had a great picture to look at on this blog if I hadn't taken off for work this morning without my camera. I forgot my tea too. Knowing that my journey's would take me through the freshly whited Flint Hills I was going to have my camera ready for a few nice shots. It was a wonderful drive with the wind pushing clouds of snow over the naked hills and valleys. Even with the clouds breaking later in the day it looked blizzard like in some places. Sorry, I'll try to remember it next time. This has been a rambling blog. Oh, hang on, I thought of something marginally humorous today, let me go get my day-timer and see if I can find where I wrote it down. I'll be right back. I'm back but it wasn't worthy of publication. While this may seem curious given some of what I have deemed worthy I believe you will thank me later. As I close, a quick thought, that is quite worthy of mention. My wife showed me a note she had received from a lady in Texas who has recently lost a son in Afghanistan. The note was full of encouraging words to my wife and me about faith and family. These words are a special gift from a grieving mother. No mention of her sorrow, just encouragement to us. Thank you Lord for Your never ending ways of surprising us with Your love. Please pray for our troops and their families.
