A letter to Paden....

I wrote a letter to Paden the morning after I baptized him. I was desperately trying to help him understand the picture of Jesus that I now have. As I've mentioned before, my picture of Jesus has dramatically changed over the years. He's not the cosmic accountant tallying up my good and bad to see how the balance tilts at the moment I die.

Anyway, in my letter to Paden I came up with this word picture that I felt a child could understand. I thought I would share it with you....

Have you ever been separated from your mom and dad in a mall or other busy place? If you haven’t, picture yourself in a very crowded place like an airport or a train station. People are whizzing by with no time to talk to you or help you. Your mom and dad are nowhere to be found. You can’t find a policeman to help. Can you imagine what that would feel like? Then, after a long time, you hear your mom’s voice and you see her, kneeling down, arms outstretched. You run to her and embrace. Can you imagine what that would feel like?

That is the best picture that I can come up with of what your relationship is with Jesus. You and I and everybody are separated from God. We are lost and without hope. There is one and only one person that can help. His name is Jesus. He’s the one that is searching through the crowd to find you.