Almost forgot

The lovely Carol and Jenny were supposed to return home last night, but their flight was canceled due to weather. So I spent another night alone in bed... then the phone rang at about 3:00am. I didn't get to it in time, but I was fully awake. I ended up going swimming (swam about 900 yards) at the "Y", during which I remembered something about last night's posting on the good news.

I forgot to mention Jesus. Well, I did mention him, but I left him out in my summary of what the good news is. Like fish who forget that they're wet (thanks to Pete for this phrase), I forget how much of my thinking has been shaped by the fact of Jesus's death on the cross and his resurrection. I wrote about it in August, but the thing that makes the good news credible -- I mean, how can I believe that I don't have to be (perfect, the smartest, correcter than thou, whatever)? It's because all the stuff I'm trying to compensate for -- my sin and shortcomings and that sort of thing -- has been paid for by Jesus himself. ...as I wrote in this open letter to an atheist friend.

I think the struggle with the good news is that just about all of us don't fully get it, or don't fully believe it. How would my life be different if I really believed that I didn't have to make up for anything, that all my faults were already paid for? Would I be free to be a better person? What would it take to change me?

The answer: a daily miracle. Lord, fill me with the knowledge of your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that I can life a life worthy of you and please you in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in my knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to your glorious might so that I might have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to God, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light. (from Colossians 1, sorta)

Amen.