Pastoral Ponderings- Eyes Wide Open
Have you ever noticed that when you are TRYING to notice things, you tend to notice a lot more than when you’re just drifting through life without really paying attention? I think it was the character Atreyu in the Neverending Story for whom the term “Eyes wide open” became a pivotal key—a good piece of wisdom to look for God sightings all around us!
On a good day, I try to keep my eyes wide open, so my ears pricked up at Disney Hollywood Studios when I heard the classic churchy word “redemption” in a very un-churchy situation. Our son had his disability pass for the lines at the rides. For most rides, he had to talk with one person first—then that’s where I heard it. The staff person then told him he had to go to someone else to “redeem” the pass for the ride, that is, so he could put it to use at that ride, or essentially, to make it real. It was one thing to have the pass—but it didn’t “work” FOR HIM until it was “redeemed.”
Redemption is often challenging term. It’s rarely used except in church or with coupons, but how spiritual can coupons be? The classic song proclaims “I know that my redeemer lives…” which is in effect saying that I know SOMEONE can make it all real. Yet I can also know that a bunch of those gifts under the Christmas tree are for me, but it takes more than just “knowing” that to make the gifts “real” to me. I’ve got t make the effort to open them! Or in Kristopher’s case at the ride—he had to go to and ask his “redeemer” to make that pass actually work for him!
We’re focusing on training for discipleship this month, which includes a passage that comes from I Timothy 4: 10– “For to this end (godliness) we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” So how is it that God is “the savior of ALL…” but “ESPECIALLY of those who BELIEVE,” as if those who “believe” are more better than others? Perhaps redemption is the key- the gift is for all- but it is only made real in the lives of those who redeem, or put their trust and actions in that gift.
“Eyes wide open” as Atreyu proclaimed—what can YOU see to help make your faith (or that of others) more real? I noticed something else at that ride—look inside the yellow circle on the picture. Is it just an architectural detail, or maybe a sign that our Redeemer lives even in the most unlikely of places?
Eyes wide open—Pastor Jim