Be Like Gary
"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
-1 Corinthians 11:1
"If [in this life] I'll never be like Jesus, at least let me be like Gary Benjamin."
For the longest time I was amused by that statement. My long-time friend said those words in what I imagined was a healthy mix of tongue in cheek and sincere admiration. Today, the statement no longer amuses me, it drives me.
For me, it isn't Gary Benjamin (no offense Gary). For me, it's my grandfather P.B. Mangum, a principled man who loved his wife in little ways that made a big impact on all those who witnessed it. My mom recalls that he would take her out on the lake that he and his sons built with their own hands, rowing the boat to the best fishing spot for her to fish. When he cut open a new watermelon, he would always cut out the heart of the melon and give it to her. The kids had to make due with the seeded parts. I desire to imitate the preference he showed for his wife as I try to be a godly husband.
It isn't only P.B. it's also St. John the Beloved, who loved Christ so much, that like a little child he lay his head on Jesus shoulder at the last supper. I long to be that close with our Lord. It's also St. Paul who did not waver or relent in his preaching the Gospel of Christ. I hope that I never shrink back from the proclamation of the Good News of our redemption in Christ! It's also St. Thomas who was the first to declare the deity of Christ (My Lord, and my God). I pray that I will be open to the revelation of Spirit of God even when those ideas defy convention.
It's also Mother Theresa who gave her life to comfort and aid the least, the poor, and the broken. It's St. Maximilian Kolbe who sheltered 2000 Jews in the Holocaust and willingly traded places with a husband and father marked for death in Auschwitz. It's also Colleen VanZee whose joy for life and love shone bright even in the darkest circumstances. These saints provide us with clear pictures of what it means to serve and worship God. They are worthy of imitating as we strive to be like Christ. This is what it means to be surrounded by the Great Cloud of Witnesses.
Homework this week: Let us fix our eyes of Jesus and run the race of faith before us. Let us allow ourselves to be reminded by those who have already run the race, what it means to be a good runner. And let us run this race with perseverance until we see our God and our Family of Faith on that final day.
-1 Corinthians 11:1
"If [in this life] I'll never be like Jesus, at least let me be like Gary Benjamin."
For the longest time I was amused by that statement. My long-time friend said those words in what I imagined was a healthy mix of tongue in cheek and sincere admiration. Today, the statement no longer amuses me, it drives me.
For me, it isn't Gary Benjamin (no offense Gary). For me, it's my grandfather P.B. Mangum, a principled man who loved his wife in little ways that made a big impact on all those who witnessed it. My mom recalls that he would take her out on the lake that he and his sons built with their own hands, rowing the boat to the best fishing spot for her to fish. When he cut open a new watermelon, he would always cut out the heart of the melon and give it to her. The kids had to make due with the seeded parts. I desire to imitate the preference he showed for his wife as I try to be a godly husband.
It isn't only P.B. it's also St. John the Beloved, who loved Christ so much, that like a little child he lay his head on Jesus shoulder at the last supper. I long to be that close with our Lord. It's also St. Paul who did not waver or relent in his preaching the Gospel of Christ. I hope that I never shrink back from the proclamation of the Good News of our redemption in Christ! It's also St. Thomas who was the first to declare the deity of Christ (My Lord, and my God). I pray that I will be open to the revelation of Spirit of God even when those ideas defy convention.
It's also Mother Theresa who gave her life to comfort and aid the least, the poor, and the broken. It's St. Maximilian Kolbe who sheltered 2000 Jews in the Holocaust and willingly traded places with a husband and father marked for death in Auschwitz. It's also Colleen VanZee whose joy for life and love shone bright even in the darkest circumstances. These saints provide us with clear pictures of what it means to serve and worship God. They are worthy of imitating as we strive to be like Christ. This is what it means to be surrounded by the Great Cloud of Witnesses.
Homework this week: Let us fix our eyes of Jesus and run the race of faith before us. Let us allow ourselves to be reminded by those who have already run the race, what it means to be a good runner. And let us run this race with perseverance until we see our God and our Family of Faith on that final day.