The Rake Dance
Years ago, while in Southern Indiana, I passed out during a sermon. Not surprising when you think about it. People fall asleep during sermons all the time. I didn’t just fall asleep, however. I passed out and during my own sermon, to boot. I was rushed to the hospital. Ambulance called, congregation in shock, world spinning around me, people crying, people praying, emergency room in turmoil, the whole enchilada, as they say. I don’t remember a whole lot about it, except to say that apparently I had pushed myself to the limit, working night and day. I was prescribed bed rest. Okay, simple enough. But, I cheated. Each afternoon, because it was late summer going into fall and I had neglected the flowerbeds about the house, due to my workload, I thought it would be relaxing to put them back in order. You know, fresh air, a bit of sunlight, some light exercise, etc. I promised myself to spend only an hour or so, no more.
One such flowerbed stretched along the backend of the property, roughly fifty feet in length by eight feet in width. It was filled with a new crop of blooming weeds and left over winter debris. I started at one end and each day I’d work a few feet clean. One day I reached the last five feet to completion. I was ecstatic. In the ministry, whether you are a Bible teacher or pastor, you never see your work complete. You can’t just stand back like a carpenter, painter or gardener and say, “Look, it’s finished.” Anxious to be able to say those words, I attacked that last stretch on my knees, lost mindlessly in work mode.
As I worked, pulling weeds and removing debris, I began to uncover what looked to be some sort of mound in the center of the garden. It looked as though something or someone had pulled last year’s garden mulch and dirt into a pile. Thinking I would simply rake it back into place once I had cleared the weeds covering it, I continued working away. Once it was clear, I headed off for the storage shed to retrieve a rake, returned and began leveling the pile. Immediately, the pile began to shift and the ground began moving around my feet. Because the sun was no longer shinning on the piece of ground I was working I had to lean down to see what was causing this strange visual disruption. What I saw nearly stopped my heart. Slithering around my feet were several young copperhead snakes. Four of which I had inadvertently penned down with the rake. The rest, about six or so, were loose and I was wearing sandals. I held the rake in place and began jumping around the rake to avoid them.
Suddenly, I heard laughter. Both of my kids, Amanda and Josh, were standing on the deck laughing at the spectacle I appeared to be making of myself. “Mom, come look at Dad! He’s dancing with the rake!”
More often than not, we see one another from a distance - even if we share the same house, workplace, church, school or daily life. We are, for the most part, incapable of seeing the heart or the “soul-scape” of one another, regardless of our relationship. In reality, it is impossible for us to walk the path of another, wearing their moccasins. Because of this, we have a tendency to make certain assessments of each other based on that which is visible to us.
Once, just after entering Bethsaida, Jesus was met by a crowd leading a blind man. They asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus led him out of the village, spit on the man’s eyes, put His hands on him and asked, “Do you see anything?”
Mark 8:24-25 says, “He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
My favorite phrase in the telling of the story is, “he saw everything clearly.” The word, “clearly”, is translated from a Greek word that is derived from two different root words. One root word is literally translated as, “finally.” The other root word is literally translated, “radiance” or “full light.” Put together the phrase would more accurately read; he finally saw every man in the full light.
But what is the full light? In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Standing there, in the presence of Jesus, the man no longer saw people as things. Rather, he saw every man in the light of Christ. Standing in the presence of Jesus we, too, see others as we should. Our perception grid through which we view the world and others, made up of our past and present relationships and what we have experienced from the day we were born, is in essence, not merely influenced by, but rather re-created by a loving Savior that gave His life for every person in whom we come in contact. In other words, by staying in the full light of Christ, we are changed and see one another through a grid made up of grace, forgiveness and acceptance – regardless of what others may be currently struggling with in their life’s journey. The key is to stay in the light. To be ever mindful of Christ’s presence, seeking Him out daily and, at times, moment by moment.
I’m going to use a statement that can be interpreted as, out of context. However, it leads us to ask a very important question, either corporately or individually, please excuse the liberty I’m taking: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18, KJV). Are we contributing to the slow death of those around us or are we a conduit through which the life-giving love of Jesus can flow?
~ Pastor Al