December 28, 2009
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Hope for the New Year
Of the many paintings at the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Michelangelo’s portrayal of Adam and God is probably one of the most well known and easily one of the most magnificent. Sure, you’ve all seen it, but have you looked at it closely? Studied it? Given more than just a passive thought as to what it’s supposed to be representing? I’d like you to take such a look at it with me now, because this particular work of art holds a profound message which happens to be very important to us as people, and more importantly as Christians.Look at the figure that represents God. Notice how his body is stretched out and twisted, his muscles are taught, his finger is pointed and his eyes are gazing directly into Adam’s heart and soul. Notice how the painting depicts the sense of urgency that God and all his creation has to connect with mankind. Do you see it? Now take a look at Adam, the representation of mankind. His posture is a little different, isn’t it? He appears laid back. His muscles aren’t taught, the posture of his hand is saying, “Well, I’m not sure I want to lift that finger.” His finger is just kind of laying there, there’s a gap between his hand and God’s, and it almost looks as if Adam, mankind, is waiting for God to do a little bit more to close the gap. And God did. He gave us his son, Jesus Christ. What else could he do? We weren’t being obedient, we weren’t in tune to his love, so he made the greatest demonstration of love possible by sending his own son to die on the cross for us.
Friends, sometimes I think we live this way. God is rushing at us, passionately pursuing us so that we may come to know him. He wants us to experience his love in compelling ways, and we’re just passively living our lives, saying, “Yea, I’m a Christian.” Even while knowing that he’s given everything including his own son Jesus Christ for us, we ask for more. As we begin this new year in 2009, I’d like to invite you into a life of passion and urgency to know God with the same sense of urgency in which God wanted to know you. The distance between us and God at any given moment is small, and all he asks us to do is respond by receiving through grace his gift of Jesus Christ, and by faith trusting him with our lives.
The past year has brought terrible tragedies to thousands of people, me included. In this new year, I challenge you to revamp your faith, to persist and prevail in prayer, and to succeed in doing God’s mighty will. This is a terrible situation we’re in, and it’s going to take some miracles to get out of it. Go with God, and be the miracle.
