“Crisis creates chaos that calls for clarity.” This is a phrase that came to me as I’ve been preparing for a second message in the “Live Simply” series – “Live Simply: Face the Truth” – we are sharing at FBC Columbus, IN.
Consider how often you’ve seen this to be true, either in your own life or the life of someone you love: When faced with a crisis, whether of our own making or by an unfortunate fate, we often react by taking steps to simplify our living. Perhaps a grave health diagnosis is received, causing us to simplify life to its very basics: a focus on our physical health, family, friends and faith. Or, maybe the crisis is more of a relational nature – a marriage that fails or the unexpected loss of a job. Again, in those instances, we commonly react by drawing back into a more simple expression of living. Crisis creates chaos that calls for clarity.
In Mark 4:35-41 we find Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat after keeping a grueling schedule surrounded by multitudes of needy people. Continue reading
Monday I went for a well mapped out bike ride on a beautiful Fall day. Everything was going as planned. Taking the back roads I was free of traffic and made it to my lunch break destination with time to enjoy the scenery. Then, after lunch, about a mile into the rest of my route, I came across a detour. Whereas I had planned to turn right, cross a bridge and continue back road riding as I meandered home; my right turn was blocked by a “road closed – detour” sign complete with barrier across said bridge.
In Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus shares twin word pictures to describe the value of the Kingdom of God (Kingdom of Heaven). We might call these particular parables “value images” as Jesus tells us that living “a kingdom of God way of life” is like a tenet farmer finding a treasure hidden in a field, or a merchant discovering a pearl of great price. In each situation the finder of these objects is so overtaken by them that he sells all he owns in order to have them. It’s this “all in” behavior that gives me pause with the parables, causing me to ask, “What do we so value in life that makes us willing to cash in everything else?” 
danielcash 