Last week I went to see Lord of the Dance at Keller Auditorium. I was struck during the show about how every great story has a villain and a hero, successes and failures, dangers and rescues. I was trying to imagine what life would be like without the fall of mankind, or going back, the fall of Lucifer. Would there really have been an absence of pain or trial or evil? Would there have been no death? And if so, how would that have redefined our world? Without pain, would we feel the exuberance of joy? Would success taste as sweet without the contrasting bitterness of failure? Would we truly understand "whole" without experiencing brokenness? Would we appreciate health if we never battled with sickness and disease? Would grace be as profound if we didn't desperately need it to cover our weaknesses? Would forgiveness be as life-giving without the presence of sin--in fact what does freedom look like without sin? Long story short, what would our love for our Savior look like if we weren't so desperately in need of saving?!
What if we have it all wrong? What if we are supposed to celebrate the trials, and cheer along pain? Rather than running from brokenness or shamefully hiding it, what if we responded to it with hopeful expectation of the glory of God's redemptive grace? How would this world be different? How would the church be different? At the most basic level, how would I be different?
Ya, those are my ponderings at the moment....whirling and whirling around in my head.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
