Monday, July 30, 2012

Wali and his bright red pants


Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  John 11:5

Some people simply hold our hearts.  

Tracy Brumme facebooked me yesterday asking for a copy of one of the plays I wrote, and really, I haven’t seen her for, um, for about sixteen years.  But I love her.  There was this moment when she took a clump of cowed sixth graders and turned them into a cackle of hags mocking Aslan.  In twenty magical minutes.  

And some of those little middle school kids that have gone through my life.  I mean, sure at one level, I love them all and would drop whatever, whenever to help them out a bit.  But some of them are different.  Little Edgar Garcia with his staring eyes.  Ariana Molina the poet.

And some of those kids who have wended their way through 220 S Country Club.  From everywhere.  Dragging my heart along behind them.  

It’s pretty inexplicable.  And really it has very little to do with merit or time together or reason.  Jesus fell in love with the rich young ruler even though he totally did not get it.  Or, I guess he did get it and walked away. I mean old Mary is the sinner of the next chapter, who washes His feet with her hair.  Everybody in town knew her story, but that’s who He hung out with when he had extra time in Bethany, house of figs.  

Mary sits at His feet and listens.  And Martha is in the background scrubbing the floor and grinding wheat, and He loves her too.  And Jesus loves Lazarus, but He still lets him die, which could not have been that much fun.  Especially when your friend, your very special friend who could do something about it, doesn’t even show up.  

So that God could be glorified.  That is the point that ties all of these stories together.  The chief end of man and Jesus came to show us how to live.  

I seem to remember that Thomas was Marco’s favorite Bible guy.  Straightforward and practical. “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”   He certainly did not get swept up into the emotion of the thing.  He spoke with a wry irony which protected his heart. But.  He loved.  To the highest measure: So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:6
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And today, may I love Him.  Straightforward and practical.  Without hesitation or distraction.  With no longing eyes in other directions.  So God may be glorified.  

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