Friday, December 11, 2015

Christmas explained via the Terminator Movies

I readily admit that I enjoy Arnold in the "Terminator" movie series and recently saw the latest edition, Terminator Genisys.

In these movies, a robot can transport to our present from the future - but the time machine only works with human tissue. So they cleverly grow human flesh around the "cyborg" and suddenly Arnold's robot is walking around amongst "regular" humans to remind them..."I'll be back."
Back in the 1st terminator movie, rational adults think its crazy for a witness to believe this could actually happen. A psychiatrist easily spots their delusion and says, "they've convinced themselves of the logic to the point it actually makes sense..."

The idea of another entity taking on human form for a time-space continuum leap into our presence caused a stir long before James Cameron brought Terminator to the screen.
Chris Rice wrote about it in his beautiful song, "Welcome to our World,"

"So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world"


That is what Christmas is about.
God found the perfect way for us to get to know Him better - as approachable as the scruffy carpenter next door.  God in human form. Jesus, the Savior.

Let's all take the time to explain the simple beauty of God's plan - which can be challenging with a rational, educated 2015 audience.
A cyborg....maybe. But God?  Bring in the psychiatrist please!

Perfect Son of God...welcome to our world.

What do you believe?


Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Dynamic Pricing and Jesus

Have you heard of dynamic pricing yet?

We recently went online to buy some last minute theater tickets for the Christmas season.
As I checked different nights, I realized the prices were quite different for the same seats.
Curious, I checked a few other performance times and the prices varied significantly - and not just for "prime time" like Saturday night. A couple week nights were also high. So I called the box office to ask why.

"Oh, its dynamic pricing," she explained cheerfully. "As the venue fills up, our pricing model senses the increase in demand and raises prices accordingly.   So...the decreasing commodity becomes increasingly valuable...and expensive. And somebody else "won" with low prices.  Interesting.

I've seen similar "multi-price" occurrences with hotels.  A discount price is available for the same room...but not during a holiday.   In season and off season rates, etc. Some  people fare better than others, for the very same room, or theater seat!

Jesus told the story of the Vineyard owner who hired people to work in the morning, then the afternoon, and finally the evening.  He gave everyone the same wage. Some complained to say "how is that fair?" But the vineyard owner replied,
"‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’  Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus has paid the price whatever our individual sins require - with no regard to how long we waited to contact him - late in the season, early - it doesn't matter. We all have the same access to salvation and eternal life in Jesus.  Are we envious because he is so generous to "latecomers" or people we think have the longer list of sins to forgive?  Let's not be.  Merry Christmas!

What do you believe?