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Life everlastingTuesday, January 1, 2013
1 John 2:24 Eventually, though, life got teejus, as Doc Watson sings. The first sentence of Scott Peck's classic The Road Less Traveled reads, "Life is difficult." I went to school and then another school and then another school, besides all the informal schools of life along the way. In church, the Lutheran liturgy became a weekly rhythm of memorized words that meant less than they should have. Others in the congregation surely felt differently, but I grew bored and restless over the years. I valued too much experiencing God with my senses and mind, and not enough just "being" with God regardless of the feelings I had. But those careful distinctions were NOT part of my early life as a baby Christian. My baptismal sponsors held me in their arms as the pastor poured water over my head and said, "David, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." He continued, "May the almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His grace to life everlasting." * I am getting closer to the "life everlasting." Getting a taste of that nearby rare air, I cherish it and crave more. Perhaps I am beginning to understand what John wrote in his 80's to his spiritual children. He understood himself the power of innocence and joy and simple belief, the triumph of mercy over judgment. "Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you." There is no distance between God and me. There never was. And never will be. God, your love amazes me. You have done wondrous deeds. We sing to you, always a new song - we break into song and sing with Joy. |
The pictures I have of myself as a little boy invariably show me smiling. The one I remember best is when I'm holding the tractor steering wheel, standing up between my dad's legs. We both look very happy.