“This day calls you.”
Granger sat musing. Calls me—why? How? What’s so special about this day?
He leaned back, his worn leather chair creaking as he rocked slightly, thoughtfully sipping his coffee.
There is only today. If ‘yesterday’ and ‘tomorrow’ were actual values in this life, I’d be okay with just rewarming the remaining coffee from yesterday morning. I’d pick up the phone and tell Arlough, “Hey, I want to talk with you tomorrow about the argyle socks you wear with sandals, but figured I’d get a start on it this morning. How’s, oh, eight-forty-five tomorrow morning sound?”
Where God is there is Timelessness. Here, I have today. As long as this life lasts, this day is what I have available to get what I need to do done. 24 hours that actually began while I was sleeping, remembering and perhaps dreaming about what I was recalling. Memories and dreams are alike: neither has any respect for proper timing or sequence. In most cases, immaterial, since we rarely remember what we dreamt about. Dreams are generally the blossoms produced in the soil of one’s subconscious mind during the nightly task of identifying, watering, feeding and weeding around the day’s worth of conscious input.
Huh. “This day calls you.” Okay. Of all the possible stuff I could cram into today, which has precedence? Which should?
Slow down, Skippy. Let’s start with rereading this morning’s quiet time scripture. Let’s stop the breakneck pace to get on with more pressing issues. There, ah, is no more pressing issue for today than for me to assess my spirit’s health and wellness in the light of holy scripture.
Let’s see… Ephesians 1:20-23 . . . .
“All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”
Okay. I get it. Guess that’s why I appreciate the work that went into putting The Message together. “The church is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church.”
As Sparks would say, “Who-o-o-oa, MOMMA!”
This day calls you. The Church is not peripheral to the world; the world is periph—–
Jesus said – says – to His Church, “You are the light of the world” and “You are the salt of the earth”. I am part of His Church. Therefore, I am His Light and Salt in my world.
“Okay, not exactly groundbreaking news, there, bub. We’ve all known that for, say, a couple millenia or so.”
Knowing something and acting on what is known are two different things. Besides, I didn’t let me finish.
I am His Light and Salt in my world. The world likes to make me believe IT’s at the center of everything while I as a Christian am part of a marginalized, pitiful Right-wing fringey-kookburger outfit having no impact on real life. So sad.
Truth is, it’s actually the other way around: Jesus Christ is firmly in charge of the Universe He was instrumental in creating. This world and everyone in it is peripheral to the central figure of Christ and His Church. And it’s THAT Church, of which I am part, that is His Light and Salt in our surrounding world.
Today. Not sometime next week. Not when it’s convenient or when I’m feeling particularly righteous.
Today. Today.
This 24 calls me to be faithful as the Light of Jesus to my world: His truth, grace, understanding and love.
This 24 calls me to be faithful as the Salt of Jesus to my world: His unmistakable flavoring and His preserving ability to keep those who follow Him.
Christ’s salt rarely made the surrounding religious world slowly putrifying in its own deadness happy. But He sure transformed the unsavory lives of everyone who ever turned to Him, receiving Him as Lord.
Granger brought back his steaming cup to the desk, sitting back down, leaning back and thinking some more.
He still does.
That’s why this day calls me.
I’m a member of an All-Star League of Champions, called one by one by The Ultimate Champion of All Time and Eternity to serve my world as His direct representative. No wonder it’s always so memorable when a bunch of us get together every week. We’re the Light and Salt of the Savior of the World!
And that’s why each new day calls me.
And that’s why this day calls you, too.
Loving you,
Dan
© July 2013