Creativity

Fall is in the air here in Atlanta these days.  I just love this time of year.  The crisp, invigorating air that wakes you up with a thrill every morning; the brightly colored leaves that filter through the air and lay in piles on the ground that are just begging to be jumped in; the jeans and scarves and hats and gloves and jackets that come from hiding in the abyss of closets and are finally able to grace the world with their presence for a few short months.  There's something about the coming of fall that just speaks to me - it speaks of life and excitement and anticipation and joy and happiness.

When I was a little kid, I would always read the passage in Luke - the one where Jesus said that if we did not praise Him, then the rocks would do it for us - with a bit of skepticism.  I would picture rocks literally singing and dancing and praising Him - a real-life version of VeggieTales, if you will.  The almost cartoonish imagery that I saw in my mind made the whole thing seem a bit far-fetched and unbelievable.  I didn't understand it, and so I just dismissed it.

But it's mornings like today that give me a better understanding of what Jesus was talking about.  Here in Atlanta, there are no rocks literally singing out praises to God.  There are no flowers dancing before the Lord.  There are no trees lining up and doing high kicks in a neat little row a lá Broadway style.  But the earth is declaring His majesty, nonetheless.  The brilliant blue sky, the peaceful neighborhood calm that surrounds me, the majestic oak trees in my back yard, the intoxicating smell of lavender and roses and honeysuckle wafting through the air....they all testify to the greatness and creativity of the Lord.  

Maybe you don't like autumn like I do.  Maybe it doesn't speak to you in the same way that it speaks to me.  But the Lord is creative in many areas, not just one.  The Lord's grandeur can be manifest in many aspects of life, not just one.  It can be seen in the latent power of waves on a beach, or the overpowering grandeur of a snow-covered mountaintop.  It can be seen in the musical laughter of a child, or in the incredible precision of a racecar.  It can be seen in passion of dance, or in the variety of food.  Whatever makes you tick, however God most speaks to your heart, make sure that you look for Him there as you go about your day.  Look for His creativity and intimate love, a love that made Him want to create such a diverse and beautiful world for us, His children.  And then don't forget to thank Him for it.  Don't let the rocks be the only ones praising Him.


Luke 19:37-40
37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Acknowledging Him with our lifestyles

"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians...who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyles. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."                                                           ~Brennen Manning

This is one of my favorite quotes ever.  It is simultaneously one of my least favorite quotes ever.  I first heard it in a song, "What if I stumble" by dcTalk, and have since then looked up the original author of the quote.  But every time I hear it it gives me pause to stop and think.  

Jesus calls Himself the Light of the World; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; our Savior; He is all of these wonderful things that should bring people to their knees in awe at the mention of His name.  But many people, rather than feeling awe and adoration of Him, instead feel revulsion and disgust at the mention of His name.


Why is that?  How can it be that we have so soiled the name of Christ, that people won't even step foot into a church, lest they be associated with Him?  Being a Christian has become, to many, a list of rules and regulations, a checklist of things that must be done and believed, of which a failure to follow will result in swift human judgment and imminent divine condemnation.  


But Jesus is supposed to bring hope, not hostility; He offers peace, not pain; He wants to give us comfort, not condescension.  And as "little Christs," we are supposed to do the same.  How can we have screwed it up so badly?  Jesus said that it is better to be either hot OR cold for Him, than to be lukewarm.  Not matching your actions with your words is the worse kind of disbelief.  It's the kind that not only harms yourself, but also disillusions those around you.


So I challenge you today, to live what you say you believe.  Be the kind of Christian that makes people want to know Jesus.  Let your actions draw them to Him, like Zacchaeus was drawn to Jesus.  That's the kind of life that we were called to.  Don't be another cause of atheism.

Luke 19:1-10

 ¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
 ⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
 ⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
 ⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
 ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”