It's Got to be There Somewhere

I didn't start reading the Bible in earnest until after my daughter was born.

As soon as she was walking, we were out on day trip excursions almost every weekend. The zoo, the nature center, the park and...the art museum.

We quickly grew to love the Cincinnati art museum (free on Saturdays!) and especially the wonderful collection of religious art.

The near-sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham on Mt. Moriah is a frequently used setting for many artists - and there was indeed an oil of it in the Cincinnati collection (although I can't find a web link to that one). The painting I strolled past with my young daughter wasn't terribly scary, so I didn't have to explain the challenging subject matter of a father willing to sacrifice his own son.

But I did have a newfound curiosity about scripture. Hadn't I read that God provided the sacrifice, and preserved Abraham's son? So we stepped a little closer to the painting and I said to my daughter, "see if you can find a sheep somewhere." Sure enough, off to the left of the painting was a thicket, and there the artist had cleverly concealed a Ram. Only someone looking for it would see it. I enjoyed a smile and an appreciation for the biblical detail observed by that artist a few centuries earlier. 

There are rams hidden in the thickets all around us, cleverly placed there by the Master artist.

Jesus said we would we find strength in humility. He said to look for power in forgiveness, and salvation in repentance. Peace in the midst of anxiety. Life overcoming death.

Now that I know what to look for, I wander through the gallery a little slower - and enjoy a richer experience.

What do you believe?

 

 

Herod Liked Listening to John

The Gospel writer Mark recalled this about King Herod and John the Baptist,

"...Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him."   Mark 6:20

Here was a king, denounced by John for his adultery, who still liked to listen to him. 

The king, who was undoubtedly surrounded by sycophants and lobbyists, recognized a "righteous and holy man" in their midst. He didn't welcome the truth of his shortcomings - but he respected the guy who was willing to stand up and proclaim it.

That's what we need to do. Tell the truth of the Gospel and then let people react as they will.

Some will simply ignore or misunderstand it. Herod's wife had John the Baptist killed for it - and that still happens in certain parts of the world.

But there are those, the lost sheep whom God seeks, who will recognize the Word of righteousness and though puzzled, will listen. For them, we have to continually share the Good News.

What do you believe?

Soap Must Not Work

There was this guy who worked in the same factory that I did back in Erie, PA.

I went to a party at his house one Saturday night and saw that it had a bathroom with a shower and there was a bar of soap by the sink.

But when you ran into this guy at work, he just didn't seem very clean. His hair looked dirty, there was always something under his fingernails and you didn't really get a fresh scent in his vicinity.

I never heard one of our co-workers conclude..."See, soap and showers don't work. I'll never waste my time with any of that." 

 Instead, it was clear to us that he wasn't using them. Soap didn't fail him, he failed to use soap. So obvious.

But I have heard that same erroneous conclusion drawn over Bibles and Jesus.

"See, look at how she's living - selfish, mean, impatient - obviously being a Christian changes nothing."

The Bible didn't fail that person - they failed to live by it, with God's help, through Jesus.  We're all covered in dirt (sin - the things that displease God).  But through a transformational relationship with Jesus, there's a way to be renewed - cleansed, in God's eyes.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  1John 1:9

And then, just like gunk disappearing from underneath fingernails, things like selfishness and unkindness start to melt away too. But you've got to be willing to apply some soap.

I still fall into the mud sometimes, but I know where to find a shower.

What do you believe?