An acquired taste

 

“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates Godlight and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” John 3:19-21 The Message

Spiritually speaking, we don’t naturally love the light of Truth. It is an acquired taste. Our society has created a sort of dim substitute for God’s light, like that around a smoky, wet campfire. We tell each other half-truths and outright lies as part of a game that we all agree to play. We conspire to tell each other what we want to hear so that we might feel better about choices our consciences chafe at.

Families can agree to back each other up with excuses and justifications for deeds that are immediately perceived as inexcusable by outsiders. Whole communities that quickly divide over where to put sidewalks or how to spend tax dollars can very quietly, with almost no discussion whatsoever agree to ignore dark and devious behaviors that, for whatever reason, they do not want to acknowledge. These may be matters of sex, race, or greed but they are always wrong and they avoid the light of reason and truth like the plague.

Not all deeds in shadow or darkness end up in catastrophe, but they often result in people getting hurt and they always result in a missed opportunity for growth of character.

As I said, God’s truth is an acquired taste.

It isn’t easy to acquire a taste for something. One night at dinner when I was young, my father decided it was time for me to acquire a taste for lima beans. I was not allowed to leave the table until I had eaten a whole mouthful of them. I managed to get the nasty things chewed up and half way down my throat when the hapless beans and everything else I had eaten for dinner that night returned to my plate! I didn’t learn to appreciate lima beans until much later as an adult, when they appeared in a really good mixed bean and ham soup. I still can’t face them alone on a dinner plate!

God understood that no one develops a taste for anything that is being crammed down his or her throat. So, God sent Jesus Christ, true God and true man, not to condemn and shame us but to be light and life amongst us. The power and insight in Jesus’ words and the warmth and hope in His healing actions can create a taste for God’s light. All who see that light and accept by faith the truth it reveals about God and about us will receive God’s gift of true, eternal life.

The lit candles of Advent symbolize the light of God’s found in Jesus Christ… a light that still shines out from His Word into a dark world.

Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month our contributor is Pastor Dave Harvey, who has served as pastor of Grand Marais Evangelical Free Church since February of 2008.