Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Even the Colors Cry Out
Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag
And all but cry with colour!
….Long have I known a glory in it all,
But never knew I this;
Here such a passion is
As stretcheth me apart, -- Lord, I do fear
Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year;
My soul is all but out of me, -- let fall
No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.
-from "God's World," by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Today, the trees are snapping with fire. Driving through my small town, I was relieved when the speed limit dropped to 35 mph, so I could appreciate the view. How often have I sped by without taking a glance at the world spinning around me?
October and November seem to be the busiest time of year for almost everyone. Between football season, midterms, and gearing up for the holidays, the definition of “busy” is stretched to include “chaos.” This busyness, I find, can not only distract us from real living, but blind us to God’s glory.
John Piper said that “Sin is the insanity of forsaking the pursuit of your pleasure in God.” It's true; I find myself easily tricked by busyness to do the insane. I strive to complete my schedule so I’ll be happy at the end of the day, but that isn’t real happiness, is it? It's only striving for insanity, forsaking joy in Christ for the sake of...chaos.
Jesus told the Pharisees, “Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died.” Manna was a gift from God--and the Israelites died anyway. Doesn't that make sense, though? Every gift outside of God Himself will lead to death, no matter how fine the gift is for the moment. If I find my sustenance in work, school, or anything else outside of God, I'll eventually lose (and waste) my life. Manna can only satisfy for so long.
Then He continued, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”(John 6) It's a grotesque thought, but I think He was trying to paint a picture of what forgiveness cost Him. Our food--the only thing enough to satisfy us every day for the rest of eternity--is Jesus. He alone can give us satisfaction, but in order to do so, He had to sacrifice His flesh.
Our peace cost Him everything. And yet we run around in our busy days, chasing our tails, wasting our lives on lesser joy. How insane.
Why do I keep peering out windows, doorways, and rear-view mirrors to catch a glimpse of the Fall colors? Because they remind me to slow down. Trees bring constant glory to God and they don’t even have to work at it. The drama of their changing leaves scream like a red stoplight, “Be still! Look to your Creator!”Amidst the chaos, He is still there; and He gives us grace.
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