The Bungee Cord. 2-8-21

Hello,

 

Several years ago, when I was going to be interviewed to be the newly called pastor of a church, I was driving along, and the thought came into my mind out of nowhere, “Who is my favorite musical artist?”  Well, for me that is an easy answer; James Taylor.  And my favorite song he sings, “Shower The People”.

 

As it so happened when I was being interviewed, I was asked a question that I had never been asked before in such an interview; “Who is your favorite musical artist?”  Coincidence?  I don’t know, but whatever the case, I didn’t stumble a step and said, “James Taylor, and my favorite song is “Shower The People.”

 

I don’t know anything about James Taylor’s religious leanings, and “Shower the People” doesn’t seem to be an overtly Christian song, but as I hear it, it seems to be saturated with what I believe about the God who has revealed God’s self in Jesus Christ.  You see, in a world that wants us to believe that there is a scarcity of love and compassion, God would have us know that that is not so with him.  There is no end to God’s love.  It is never diminished.  It is ever flowing fountain of grace and mercy that not even the universe can contain.

 

It is true that love is risky.  When set your heart upon your sleeve, it can get easily bruised.  I believe that God experiences that every day with me.  God put his heart out in the open when he sent Jesus, and every day I respond in less than love-filled ways to God’s love for me.  But here’s the thing with love; when love is mighty river, love overwhelms risk.  When a child is caught in a burning building, just try and keep a loving parent from dashing into that building out of love for that child.  So it is with God.  In Jesus, we discover that God is unable to hold back his love for us, no matter the risk.

 

But more than risky, love is lifegiving.  It is the thing that puts strength back in your knees when you have messed up and fallen on your face.  It is the thing that opens up the window and fills your lungs with hope when the stuffiness of life is suffocating.  It is the thing that pumps purpose and direction in life when things are confusingly dizzy.  It is the thing that hold you in the palm of a hand when you are so wearied by life that you can no longer hold on.

 

And that is why love overwhelms risk, at least for God.  And as one who has experienced what the risky love has done for me, given me life, I find myself caught up in being likewise risky with love.  Drenched in the shower of God’s love for me, I can’t help but get others wet as my sopping wet life touches theirs.

 

There is no scarcity of love, at least not when it comes to God’s love.  There is no risk that God will not take to love you, and there is no barrier in all the universe that will keep God from loving you.  And there is no valve that the world can close that will keep God’s love from spewing out from you into the world…..and as James Taylor says…”will make things better.”

 

Of course, James Taylor says it better than I do, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfJWqjoekow.

 

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger