A short story told by Barbara
Brown Taylor: “I remember being at a
retreat once where the leader asked us to think of someone who represented
Christ in our lives. When it came time to share our answers, one woman stood up
and said, “I had to think hard about that one. I kept thinking, Who is it that
told me the truth about myself so clearly that I wanted to kill him for it?”
God Himself is all the
treasure we could ever desire, but He is also, inevitably, holy, and honest
with us. (He is God after all.) If we decide to draw only close
enough to get warm, but never set on fire, we will likely end up being of the
lukewarm temperature and taste in His mouth that He spits out. (Rev.
3:16, which, ironically, seems to be a fitting warning to go alongside of our
favorite John 3:16.) Do I want His goodies and comfort only, or do
I want Him, in whatever transformation that means for my life? If I don't
take a close and regular look at my own condition, I am likely playing with my
God toy for my own entertainment, a delusional game that will put at risk not
only my game board, but my life as well, which are both destined to be turned
over on some day down the road when the truth comes out.
It's really difficult to let
Him get close. And it is truly the way to life. We just have to
pass through the death of ourselves to have it. And that is the purpose
of Lent, where we consider His life and death, and when we are specifically
asked to participate in prayer, repentance, penance, giving, and self-denial. Those
are the hallmarks of Lent, which makes it pretty clear why the famous card
company of the same name hasn't chose to commercialize it. Not many buy
in.
Lent begins tomorrow. Let
Him close. Let Him speak. Draw close to the fire and see what new
life can be had for you by Resurrection morning. It might be a pretty
amazing feeling to walk out of your own tomb when He speaks your name and says
"Come forth!" That is, after all, what we've been invited into.
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