Will...games...billboards

I am thinking of one of my grandkids, Will, who is two years old going on ten just like most two year olds.  Will simply loves anything that has a ball involved in it...he loves shooting baskets in his small plastic basket and backboard set...is learning how to dribble.  I have never seen anyone, young or old, who can do some of the things he naturally does with a ball...he can drop kick a ball...now this is a term from about the 30’s in football and no one really does it these days...well except Will. A drop kick consists of dropping a ball in front of you, kind of like you were going to punt is, but you let the ball hit the ground lightly and then kick it on the bounce.  Timing is everything.  He can throw a baseball...straight...well you get the point...he loves playing with any kind of ball.

Well, his brothers both are playing many sports also and you can see Will mimicking them.  This week Stacy bought him a small football uniform and he hardly wants to take it off and he loved wearing it to the boys football practice.  He looked just like the big boys...kind of.  But he ran, he kicked, he dodges, he squats down in his stance...he mimics...copies.  He wants to do what his big brothers do...so he tries. He sees his heroes..his brothers and he does what they do. 

Hmmm. I wonder if that isn’t what we as the Church are not supposed to be doing...mimicking Jesus.  I always thought it was...I know it will never be easy...but what if we decided to follow Jesus...just like the song. What if His will outweighed ours?  What if His word became more true than ours?  What would it be like if the words “For God so loved the world He sent His only Son” could have an addendum added to it...”and He left His church.”?  It sure seems to me like that would be world changing...

This past week I got to watch two local churches kind of have an argument with billboards...so all the world can see.  One from a small congregation states...”Being gay is a gift from God.”  Now I don’t think you have to be a biblical scholar to know this a pretty off the mark...I always think it is kind of fun when the Church decides to be nicer than God Himself...Who is love.  So now the fun begins when a big church decides to do 9 billboards with the message, “Being Gay is NOT a gift from God.  Forgiveness, Love, Eternal life are.  Well, I do agree with this message more for sure...but really.  It strikes me like a mom and dad fighting in front of the kids...and the neighbors...and CNN...and...What’s the point here? Billboards...words...division...who wins?  

We have people that are hungry...out of work...kids that could use school clothes...moms that could use gas money...and we do billboards.  Sigh. Why not...oh never mind.

I think I want to be like Will...I just want to mimic my big brother...do what He did...say what He did...love what He did...serve like He did.  Give me the ball Will...I want to give it a swift kick.

Bill