2/11/13 Michael about 23
“If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore…” This quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson reminds me of the dangers of familiarity, a danger that is infinitely greater when it comes to the cross.
The danger is that our “Pearl of Great Price” will be regarded as something common, but a young man named Michael reminded me anew of the wonder of the cross, even though he is not a believer himself!
I reached out to Michael in conversation at a Walgreens. He had been raised as a Catholic through his Latino father and a Buddhist through his Asian mother. He tries to keep an open mind to different religions and wants to learn more about them, but admitted he didn’t know much about Christianity even though he took some theology classes at his Catholic university.
I asked him what he thought about Jesus – what he thinks of when he sees the cross in churches. “I don’t know exactly what it means”, he said, “but I can barely look at it because I know it represents something very, very profound, something far beyond my understanding”
Well said, Michael. I went on to encourage him to never lose that sense of awe at the cross, and we went on to a very encouraging Gospel conversation. Please pray for him; I believe he is not far from the Kingdom of Heaven.
And let us never think that we have the cross of Christ all figured out:
“And when I think, that God His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin”
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