Monday, April 18, 2011

For the Followers of One Thing

My front yard (4/18/11)
Monday, April 18. It is snowing in Monroe. We may get an inch.

A robin in my backyard sits, freezing, snow-coated, confused. The buds on my lilac bush decided to withdraw. "We emerged too early," they said. My wife Linda does not like this snow.

As for me and my soul, the snow looks beautiful. This may be our last snowfall. I won't see this for a while. There's no wind. The flakes are big and corn-flaky.

On that first Easter week things were not looking good to Jesus' followers. Spiritually, the sun was not shining; darkness was enveloping the hearts of men. Don't go to the cross, Jesus! "But I must." The cross, in that upside-down Kingdom way of God, is the glory-pinnacle of history. "If I be lifted up..." The moment darkness trembled at His voice and tried to hide.

The Cross. This is Paul's "One Thing." "I resolved to know one thing: Jesus Christ and him crucified." Attention all Followers of One Thing: this is your week.

It is good that it is snowing today. It needs to be cold. The sun must be out of sight. "Why have you forsaken me?"

Monroe forecast for Friday, April 22: mostly cloudy, chance of rain, highs 46-50. Excellent. It needs to be cloudy on Good Friday. The entire day should be night. A day when, from all appearances, darkness gets its way. It was confusing for the original Jesus-followers. It was a day when they all, except for a couple of women, decided to check out of The Movement. What we thought was the light of the world just got crossed out. We can cross Jesus off our to-do list. We don't want to hang with him any more. It will be good if this Friday, with rain, comes thunder minus the lightning.

Jerusalem forecast for Sunday, April 24: sunny, high 79. Monroe forecast for Sunday, April 24: sunny, highs 54-58.