Lucado has published over 80 books, and I won't even act like I've read the majority or even a dozen yet, but there's one in particular that stands out to me. Did one of his study Bibles impact my life in a profound way? Not quite. Was it his analysis of what the cross means for our Christian hope? Nope. I'm speaking, of course, about Hermie: A Common Caterpillar. As you may be able to guess from the title, you won't find much controversial theology or scholarly apologetics defending the faith to the masses. No, it's a children's book about a caterpillar that talks to God.
Yes that's right. I have chosen a children's novel, which the website says is recommended for ages 4 and under, to get up in arms over. Bear with me, I beg you.
So, if you haven't read the book, it's actually quite a cute story (that was later turned into an animated video featuring the voice talents of Tim Conway and Don Knotts of all people??) about two caterpillars who talk to God. And all through the book, they look at other creatures, like the ant who has this incredible strength and the ladybug who has beautiful spots, and compare themselves, thinking they were just too plain. They were just too normal. And every time they raise these concerns in their talks with God, he has the exact same response.
"I'm not finished with you yet."
He assures his creation that in his good timing, they will become something beautiful. I absolutely love this promise from God, so rich in hope and love. And, sure enough, the book concludes with Hermie turning into a beautiful butterfly. God kept his promise, and Hermie was thrilled.
Great story, truly. But, like I said, I have some issues with it that I want to address. Because I think that the lessons that we are teaching our children about God are much more important than we realize. Messages like the ones contained in this cute kid's story can stick with a child for a very, very long time. That's what happened with me.
I want to start with the low-hanging fruit. I take the same issue with this story as I take with The Ugly Duckling. Jimmy Fallon, in his popular segment entitled "Thank You Notes," sums it up best, I think:
"Thank you, the story of the ugly duckling, for teaching children that what's important isn't what's on the outside, but what's on the outside LATER in life."Really think about the moral of this story. It begins deceptively positively: "don't compare yourself to others, because God hasn't finished with you yet, your time is coming." That sounds wonderful! But at the end, it almost seems to say, "okay NOW you can compare yourself to others because God has finally given you that smokin' bod you've been asking for, and everyone else will be totally jealous."
Is this really the best message that we can impart on children? In our image-obsessed culture that grows more shallow by the minute, the last thing I want children hearing, whether explicitly or otherwise, is that their happiness will one day be secured in their appearance. Because guess what, kiddos, puberty came and went, and I still struggle immensely with the comparison game. Once that door is opened, it is enormously difficult to close. Why can't we spread more messages of overwhelming love and acceptance in our Christian books? And I know, I know, I'm picking apart a children's novel kind of ruthlessly, it's meant to communicate difficult truths in very simple terms after all. But here's the deal. I've seen this done so much better in multiple children's books. The example that stands out most to me is, ironically, another one of Lucado's best-sellers, You Are Special! This can be and has been done extremely well. It's time to turn a critical eye toward the messages we're spreading, especially the ones concerning the God we serve. These messages matter.
Okay, now that I'm good and worked up, let me get to my main issue with this, and I think you'll find this one even more applicable to your lives. I want to turn an eye toward God's refrain of "I'm not finished with you yet" that shows up throughout the story. This line serves as more than just a line from a sinfully catchy Rend Collective song that's been stuck in my head during this entire writing process. It can also be an extremely dangerous trap for your spiritual life.
Really think about the issue with telling ourselves that God is not finished with us yet. Place yourselves in young Riley's shoes. I was ten years old, and I gave my life to Christ. I was baptized in my home church surrounded by a crowd of witnesses. Paul says that my old self died and I was raised to new life in my baptism. And the problem that I had is a problem that many of us have faced at some point in our Christian journey:
I don't feel any different now than I was before.
I had carried with me this expectation that baptism would somehow make me a completely different person, a person capable of shrugging off sin that still haunts me, doubts that still plague me, and darkness that constantly threatens me. I expected that I would be able to always recognize God's presence in my life as I attempted to walk in step with his commandments.
And I think part of me expected, perhaps because of stories like this one, that God was finished with me.
The real danger in messages like this one is thinking that there will be a point in our lives on earth where we as Christians are finished. Where we have reached the goal, where God has decided that this is exactly what we need to be. I think that I carried this idea with me much longer than I realized. I found myself thinking, "If I could just take care of ________, nothing will stop me from being who God wants me to be." I think we get it into our heads that everything we do, whether in church, small groups, Bible class, or all alone, is just practice for becoming a better person. And I'm here to say we've got that twisted.
Because the grand secret of our human experience here on this planet, as near as I can figure, is that we are never finished. That's kind of the whole point isn't it? Why else would we have a deep, spiritual hunger for something greater and more powerful than ourselves? If there were some point when we could have enough prayer, enough love, enough service to be the community that God envisioned for us, we would render Jesus's sacrifice completely meaningless. The point of our spiritual disciplines is not to bring us closer to a perfect version of ourselves, but to bring us in closer relationship to our perfect Father. Our time in this life is meant to glorify God. This is what we are meant to practice throughout life. God wants us to see him in every aspect of our life, to revel in his love and generosity, to praise his name alone for all that he has done in and for us.
Yes, we are not finished yet. And praise God that we never will be. I pray that I don't live for some finish line. Help me to stay the work-in-progress I know I'm meant to be.
~RJS~
P.S.
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