Hello,
Have you ever heard what cockroaches talk about? Well, the other day as I was sitting in
a restaurant, I did a little eaves dropping.
“Hey Ralph, hear that you are up for Cockroach of the year.”
“Yeah, Sid, it’s true. Got the word yesterday.”
“Wow, that’s something, but I’m not surprised. There isn’t a Cockroach that works as
hard as you do cleaning up the kitchen floor. You rip through the grease, and there isn’t a bit of grime
that is too grimy for you.”
“Yeah….”
“And you are always looking out for the rest of us
Cockroaches, calling us over to share in the discoveries that you have
found. A lot of us owe our life to
you.”
“Well….”
“I’d vote for you…that’s for sure. Hey, did you hear about Stan? He got crushed by the cook yesterday.”
“Not surprised.
He always was pretty stupid.
Kind of just laid around while the rest of us did all the work. Free loader…that’s what he was. I’m sure that he would have never been
up for Cockroach of the year.”
“Aren’t you a little bit worried about the cook’s foot?”
“Nah….I am up for Cockroach of the year,” said Ralph.
As I heard Ralph and Sid talking, I thought to myself,
“Ralph, you’re missing something.
You’re a cockroach!”
True enough.
Like Ralph, Sid and Stan, when our sample size is our own kind, it is pretty
easy for us to idolize some and look down on others, maybe even idolizing
ourselves as we compare ourselves to others. Surprised when “bad” things happen to “good” people, and at
ease when “bad” things happen to “bad” people.
But wait! Isn’t
there a problem with this? Isn’t
our problem the same problem that Ralph, Sid and Stan fell into? They all were cockroaches….we all are
sinners. Sure, when we compare ourselves to one another, we might be able to
say (although I am not sure that it bears much truth) that someone is less of a
sinner than another. Even though
someone among us might be considered “Sinner of the Year” for sinning the
least, nonetheless that one is still a sinner.
When I consider the story of Easter, a story that is hard
for some, if not all, to believe, I find myself struggling less to believe that
Jesus might have risen from the dead (after all, if God was involved in
bringing life out lifelessness…however you might believe that involvement to
be,….. it seems believable to me that such a God could bring life to one whose
life has left him) than that God would care about me, a sinner (cockroach) that
he would die and rise for me. The
grace of God is the most unbelievable part of the story of Easter for me.
That God would endure the sufferings of this world and even
the terror of death in order to extend his infinite love to me makes no sense
to me when I eye myself next to Almighty God. I find grace hard to believe.
And maybe that is why God went to the extent that he did
when he sent his Son, Jesus.
To simply say, “I love you,” might not ever accomplish the will of God
that people would live (abide) in his love. However, to incarnate that Word, “I love you,” might indeed have
the power to bring us under his wing, even when it is hard, or even impossible,
to believe.
There might not be anything for cockroaches to hope in as they wander ‘neath the
footsteps of the cook….but not so for us, sinners, who wander ‘neath the glory of God. We have the grace of God, grace that is
solidly sealed in Easter. “Christ
is risen! He is risen
indeed!”
Alleluia!
Have a great day,
God’s grace and peace, (GGAP)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
No comments:
Post a Comment