I also mentioned how God does not leave us separated from Him. As a woman shared with King David, our God does not let anything separate us from Him forever; we are not like spilled water, never able to be put back in the cup. He always creates ways for us to return to Him, like the Israelites after making the golden calf. He could have abandoned them but He continued to create ways for them to return to His presence. (2 Samuel 14.14)
I also mentioned Pete Briscoe's story about jumping over the wall with a friend when they were six. His father had told them they were free to do anything in the backyard except go over the stone wall. They did, of course, and were soon being threatened by the bull. They got back over the wall without injury except the disappointment of Pete's father. He said he had made the rule not to limit their fun but to protect them.
I thought about the story from another perspective: the father's. As I started to change the end of the story, it hit me emotionally hard...not just once but twice as I later related the conversation to my wife--and a third time when I talked to a few more guys. What if the boys couldn't have gotten back over the wall? He would not have stood at the wall and said, "Oh, well, I told you not to go over the wall but you did anyway. Too bad for you. Hope you can get yourself out of this mess." I believe the father would have jumped over the wall and done everything he could to save the boys even if they had broken his rule. A good shepherd hunts until he finds the wandering sheep. A father protects his kids no matter what, whether they've been obedient or not, whether the kids want the father's help or not. He would jump over the wall. He would sacrifice himself to save his kids.
Christ jumps over the wall to protect us. Christ jumped over the wall to save us.
I thought about the story from another perspective: the father's. As I started to change the end of the story, it hit me emotionally hard...not just once but twice as I later related the conversation to my wife--and a third time when I talked to a few more guys. What if the boys couldn't have gotten back over the wall? He would not have stood at the wall and said, "Oh, well, I told you not to go over the wall but you did anyway. Too bad for you. Hope you can get yourself out of this mess." I believe the father would have jumped over the wall and done everything he could to save the boys even if they had broken his rule. A good shepherd hunts until he finds the wandering sheep. A father protects his kids no matter what, whether they've been obedient or not, whether the kids want the father's help or not. He would jump over the wall. He would sacrifice himself to save his kids.
Christ jumps over the wall to protect us. Christ jumped over the wall to save us.
Love--against which there is no law (wall). (Galatians 5.22-23)
How do we need to jump over the wall to protect our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ?
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