 Stories are vital. We are a people of stories. Songs, movies, literature and yes, even the Bible are stories and we are enraptured by them because they often convey great truths. That is if we have the time and patience to unravel what the story is saying and means.
Jesus taught primarily in story form, because stories speak more eloquently and quietly that statements of fact and efforts to debate and persuade. Nancy’s grandson Zeke is two and half. Already, he is a voracious reader. He will sit literally for hours and pick out book after book and just sit in our laps and let us read to him and remembers what books and stories are his favorites. Nancy bought him a book of Bible stories and it is one of his favorite books. He calls it his “God Book”.
Recently Nancy’s dog “Charlie”, who is 14 years old, began losing his sight. Zeke noticed that Charlie was not moving around that well and at times bumped into things. Nancy explained to Zeke that Charlie was going blind and that going blind meant he could not see any more.. Zeke was quiet for a moment. Thinking. Then he said, “In my God Book, there a man blind... that other man put mud on his eyes. He not blind now.” Zeke remembered that story. It made an impression on him and he connected Charlie’s condition with that story.
That story is in John 9. It is the story of a man believed to be blind because of his sin, or that of his parents. Jesus taught that this way of “seeing” how God works as a punisher for sins was not accurate and in fact “a blindness” of those who believed that we can earn good fortune by not sinning.
We need to be healed of that kind of blindness and the simplest things can bring healing. Things of the earth and the memory of a small child are agents of healing. Zeke heard the story. As he grows he will remember that story and many more that he will hear across his life and each story will tug on something within him… something that is God and that thread will pull him toward God. Because he listened to the stores in “My God Book”.
Pastor Greg LaDue
Image: Healing the man born blind (Fragment), 1308-1311
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Friday, October 31, 2014
San Diego, California, United States - First United Methodist Church - In Real Life "Zeke's God book" by Pastor Greg LaDue for Friday, 31 October 2014
San Diego, California, United States - First United Methodist Church - In Real Life "Zeke's God book" by Pastor Greg LaDue for Friday, 31 October 2014
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