Thursday, April 17, 2008

Take Today, For Instance

Today is the most drop-dead, jaw-dropping, lick-an-ice-cream-cone-and-sing-songs-while-skipping beautiful day I have maybe ever seen. The trees are budding pink, white, yellow, green... it was about 65 degrees in the shade, 69 degrees in the sun, just cool enough to wear a light jacket, but just warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts - if you really wanted to sit in the sun. Central Park was packed with happy-as-a-lark New Yorkers at 3:00 when Amber and I went for a walk. People really do get in a good mood up here when the day is pretty. I can see why.

And its days like today, that I don't really feel like theology does the trick. See, I think most times when I dive into the theological depths, I say that I am looking for God, but what I am really doing is assuring myself that there is a God and that I am going to heaven. I think at the bottom of that can be all about "me." And I think I should think about "me" a little less. I think I should maybe quit trying to "know myself and where I fit in it all" a little bit less.

I think if maybe ever' once in a while we could try to know our neighbor, then maybe we wouldn't be so worried about predestination or whatever. I think if I can spend about 3 minutes not thinking about myself and ponder the wonders of that tree covered in white flowers, just swaying in the wind like its waving at the sky, I'll probably get the best theology lesson I've had in weeks, maybe years.

After all, Jesus didn't say, "Consider the Trinity..." or "Consider free will," or "Consider dispensationalism."

Nope, He said. "Just sit still for a minute. Stop worrying. Consider those Lilies over there."

Maybe the best theology lessons are sometimes found in loving our neighbor and looking at lilies.

1 comment:

Amy said...

well said and amen.