The Scandal Behind Awe and Wonder

OK Lord, so we are having this blog talk thing together, you and I. A sweet conversation as to your beauty and the joy of knowing you. And when I think of you, I think of the greatest scandal of all.

It's not that we are not unaware of scandal, they are all around us. We just don't seem able to contain them, let alone prevent them. They are the headlines. They are the people in congress or down at city hall. They are round the corner. They are our hearts. They are my heart. Until you came along Lord. You, the greatest scandalon of all. For Paul writes your cross is a stumbling block to the religious. Yep, it really is. People that merely strive to look cool -- in a religious sense. Caught up in rules, regulations, performance, always seeking to get better, better, best. All that pharisaical garbage that can look pretty authentic at first glance. But as you know only too well Lord, the actual wording is more along the lines of, to the religious your cross was the scandalon of all scandals. Your grace -- nothing short of mind boggling. Your love -- astonishing. Your joy, yep, likewise.

I remember years ago telling a college roommate that I had become a Christian and was thinking about going to seminary. He blurted out something like, "No. Impossible. The last thing the world needs is another scandalous TV preacher."

He was close Lord, perhaps he even nailed it. For as great as my scandals were and are, my scandals don't even come close to the greatest scandal of all time. For the scandal of your heart that you love and forgive even yet me, drawing me and all of us close this day and for all eternity is the greatest scandal of all time. Pure love. Pure grace. Pure joy. Pure beauty. That is you. That is so you.