All The Worldly Things

Good morning on this most excellent Friday! Last night I witnessed a playground accident. Small brother on swing, enjoying his moment even to the point of showing off how high he can go. Tiny brother wants some of this and heads for the swing. Mom, engaged on the teeter-tooter with a daughter, can see what's coming and starts yelling at both brothers. Dad, minding the slide with yet another kid, can see what's coming and yells at the swinging brother to stop. Doesn't tell him how until too late. I across the street trimming a bush can see what's coming and know better than to add to the confusion by shouting too. Not that anyone can hear my shouts in any case. Tiny brother is too young for school and thus does not take into account the physics of a pendulum, force, momentum, etc. Whack! Tiny brother goes flying, small brother learns new way to slow down swing, parents freak out. Much wailing and crying fills the evening air. The tiny brother, down but not out, joins in with a little crying too. Severe scolding arrives for small brother with much criticism of his swing safety, stopping distance, etc. The poor child learns in one glaring moment that this world really stinks in a lot of ways. A moment of joy is ruined by the ignorance of the young, an accident Mom and Dad could not stop, and the rapid application of blame. We've all been there in various roles throughout our lives.

The amusing thing last night was that three adults clearly saw what was coming, but for all our talents, strengths, experience, and abilities we could in no way stop the accident. A rich man could not have bought something quickly enough to stop it. A strong young man could not move quickly enough to stop it. Not one of us held the wisdom in the moment to say the right thing to stop either little child. Neither Mom nor Dad's volume caused the reaction they desired. (The small brother could have heard them several blocks down the street.) Yet, so often it is upon all these worldly things that we depend for salvation before we come to believe in Christ alone. Jeremiah passed on a little help from God in this matter.

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in all the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Bucky