We are alive to receive a taste of eternity. My father left us theology books, an old-fashioned photo slide collection of my parents travels, furniture, family documents and memorabilia. They were always doing their church thing somewhere else. I remember only one sermon that my father preached, the “Kip” sermon. One would have to be ancient to know about the ointment Kip. Any sermon records are scanty or bare outlines, I assume he shared mostly from his heart. If I could turn back the pages of my life, I would choose, above all else, to hear him share.
Kicking
around our garages for years was a freshly painted cast iron railroad sign. We
were never told the significance of the sign or more likely, I was not
interested in questioning my parents. After their passing, I took the sign,
more than anything else, as a part of my father and mother’s heritage. Now it
sits on a post in the corner of my front yard. Cast iron is almost eternal but
for now, I must guess as to its significance.
We need only
one guess for my parents were evangelistic people. All the problems of this
world are solved at the altar as one repents. This summary is an exaggeration
but the evangelistic message was the focus of my parent’s lives. The sign
reads, STOP - LOOK – LISTEN. The sign is a warning to stop at the railroad
crossing, look both ways for an approaching train and as a last resort, listen
for any train noises. A safe crossing of the tracks with your car is then
possible.
The
evangelistic takeaway has the same three points. Stop living in sin (repent),
Look up to Jesus Christ (faith), Listen for instructions from Jesus and your
newly discovered spiritual leaders. All we humans are different. For some of
us, this message has proven to be a spiritual positive in our lives and for
others of us, this message has shut down all spiritual curiosity. The evangelistic
message is divisive and needs some work.
Above all
else the evangelistic message is a churchy spiritual methodology. There is an
element of Bible based truth in all three points but Jesus did not teach a
methodology. Jesus taught an openness to spiritual messaging from God. There is
an invitation open to all persons to be a part of the kingdom of God, an invisible,
borderless kingdom where the spirit of God reigns not by might but through the whole
truth of God.
The
confrontation between Jesus and the Samaritan women at the well in Chapter Four
of St. John’s Gospel has been preaching fodder for the evangelistic message for
generations. The woman had five husbands and the man now in her life was not
her husband, she was a ready target for evangelism. Yet, Jesus doesn’t tell her
to repent of her lifestyle, they go into a conversation about how God speaks to
we humans, not through one religion or another but directly, God and the individual,
one on one.
Getting back
to the R/R sign, maybe, the order should be reversed, spirituality begins with listening.
Be aware, the voice of God, the spirit reality sneaks up on us, are you
listening?
G. Goslaw
Landers, CA
