So I went to see Son of God in the movie theater. I prayed for the Bible to come alive and for it to be fun to watch. It was awesome because it spoke of God, but it wasn’t fun in the light-hearted, traditional sense of the word. The critics said the movie was boring. Well, if it was boring to the critics, I really hope it was because the story had a certain sense of familiarity. That’s how I felt.
I told God, I would love to pick up the Bible and not know it. I would love to experience the whole thing from start to finish, as if I had never read it. Draw me in, not knowing what’s going to happen, not what’s going to be said next, and not knowing how God is going to react. I spoke to the LORD.
“Let’s face it, the Bible has everything that makes life worthwhile. It’s better than reading a favorite novel, but sometimes I wish it was just more entertaining.” I continued, “You know, I love the Word of God with all my heart, but even the most beautiful things in life, when they are super familiar, aren’t as new anymore. That spark that something new has, like the new roller coaster at six flags… that Christian movie that I just loved… that worship song that just touched my heart… The Bible’s infinitely superior of course, and I still enjoy it, even after all these years… but I just feel like I want more out of it. Perhaps if it were longer?”
“I guess from the outside looking in, Christianity looks pretty boring to the world, huh?”
“May I feel like I am new every day?”
“So if I had something ordinary, like a marshmallow, I could be creative and make it something s’more?”
I heard it said recently that if you’re in a small group of studious people and the group next to you starts laughing, that everyone in the studious group wants to kind of look over and see what’s going on. We, as a general rule, follow the joy. Wouldn’t you agree, gentle reader?
Joy lights hearts on fire, lifts broken spirits, creates thirst, and loves contentment. I was even reading a scripture today that says,
The desires of my heart…
My first desire is that each of us, as believers, would give God credit for everything we enjoy in life, and honor Him by spreading that joy to others…
My second desire is for cookies…
That’s some food for thought.
