May 4th - 7th - Let's Play!

Theme
Care

Readings
Judges 19:1-21:25-In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.
Ruth 1:1-4:21-Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; you people shall be my people, and your God my God.
1 Samuel 1:1-2:21-My heart exults in the LORD...
John 3:22-5:23-Take up your mat and walk.
Psalm 104:24-105:45-So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
Proverbs 14:22-29-Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding...

God's Word
I care for you so now, you care for one another.

Story
I don't know how he did it. There I was sitting on the park bench, just watching the children play in the playground and enjoying a book and the beautiful weather, when he came up and asked if he could sit on the bench. I said, "Sure, welcome, on this fine day." Then he asked me about the book I was reading. Just simple conversation, but it was about to break into much deeper conversation before long. He seemed to know about the Stephen King novel I was reading and we talked for some time. Then he asked me if I was married. I told him, that I wasn't. And that's when it all got a little creepy.

He said that no, I wasn't married, that I had been in an affair and was divorced. He knew all there was about everything. He even started bringing up those times when I was a youth and ran off to get drunk and all the wild parties. Sure, we talked about the good times too. The times that I had stopped someone on the street to share a cigar and talk and send them on their way home with money in a cab. But, I found out that he knew all about me. He knew more about me than I knew about myself.

That's when he told me about the Word. Not the words in the Stephen King novel. But the Word made flesh. The Word that would come into this world and save all people from sin, death and damnation. The Word that caused creation and everything this fine day would bring to come into being. The Word that was the Light of the world. The Word that would always be with me, not in a novel, but the Word that would be my life.

And finally the light in my simple mind came one. Hey! This guy IS the Word! This guy IS the Light! This guy IS the Messiah! This guy IS Jesus! And he came to me, right here, in the midst of my sin, on this park bench and into my life!

Some of his friends showed up and he was off to talk to other people. So I ran home to tell all I could find. Come and see! Come and see who found me! Come and see!

Prayer
Lord, you came to me in the midst of life. Now I run to tell the world---Come and see! ---Amen