Thursday, May 15, 2008

Be Rescued.

I think that this is a beautiful visual of who Jesus was and is: an excerpt from Donald Miller's book, Blue Like Jazz.



(there was a group of NAVY seals on a mission to free some hostages. Once the SEALs found the hostages, curled up in a corner and terrified, they told the hostages that they were Americans and asked them to follow them. But the hostages wouldn't---they didn't believe that their rescuers were really Americans.)


"The SEALs stood there, not knowing what to do. They couldn't possibly carry everybody out. One of the SEALs... got and idea. He put down his weapon, took off his helmet, and curled up tightly next to the other hostages, getting so close his body was touching some of theirs. He softened the look on his face and put his arms around them. He was trying to show them he was one of them. None of the prison guards would have done this. He stayed there for a little while until some of the hostages started to look at him, finally meeting is eyes. The Navy SEAL whispered that they were Americans and were there to rescue them. Will you follow us? he said. The hero stood to his feet and one of the hostages did the same, then another, until all of them were willing to go. The story ends with all the hostages safe on an American aircraft carrier...

...When i understood that the decision to follow Jesus was very much like the decision the hostages had to make to follow their rescuer, i knew that I needed to decide whether of not I would follow Him. The decision was simple once I asked myself, "is Jesus the Son of God, are we being held captive in a world run by satan, a world filled with brokenness, and do I believe Jesus can resuce me from this condition?...

...I never like it when the preachers said we had to follow Jesus. Sometimes they would make Him sound angry... But I liked the idea of Jesus becoming a man, so that we would be able to trust Him, and I like that He healed peoplpe and loved them and cared deeply about how people were feeling."



How amazing is it that the Son of God wants to rescue US?? The thought of that leaves me astounded and speechless.