An Easter to Remember

It was an excellent Easter Sunday. Although I love chocolate, this was not a day focused on the delicious decapitation of chocolate bunnies.

Mmmmmm.... chocolate.

It was a great day because we were able to spend it with family: aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, nieces. A nephew who drove to the gathering from college. Another nephew only a few months old who shared toothless smiles of joy.

It was an opportunity to worship in a country church. The cozy wooden pews were filled with families. We sat next to the woman who was the soloist at our wedding. We sang traditional hymns, played by the organist from our wedding. Our youngest happily went to children’s church midway through the service. His older brother sat next to his grandmother and contentedly colored. The church pastor, speaking with his calm demeanor and slight German accent, provided a reassuring sermon. It was a celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

Amen.

Perspective

A glass of perspective

During my undergrad days at RPI, I took a history class called “The Cultural History of Water in the United States.” Most people, when I mention the course, look at me strangely, as if they are expecting the punchline of a joke to follow.

But it was a serious course and fascinating, too. I often find myself fondly looking back upon it. Can’t say that the same is true for many of my undergrad courses. Thoughts of linear algebra, advanced calculus, mechanics, electronic materials and thermodynamics don’t usually result in a warm smile, more likely a cold shiver. On the other hand, “Chemistry of Materials” was excellent. But, I digress.

My history course on water invigorated my thirst for knowledge. (Sorry, can’t resist puns.) In that class we studied the creation of the Erie Canal, the Army Corps of Engineers’ battle to prevent the flooding of New Orleans — a battle later lost during Hurricane Katrina, and the use of water in fighting forest fires.

The best way to describe the theme of the course was a study of humanity vs. nature. So often in the history of our world, we think that we can tame God’s creation. We become too enamored with our marvels of engineering. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the creative products produced by engineers, architects, and construction workers.

But the history of water struck a chord with me. It is amazing and humbling to see how a simple molecule, two parts hydrogen-one part oxygen, can be so important and so powerful. Water’s power is devastating. Ice splits rocks. The weight of snow can crush a roof. And tsunami waves, as we’ve seen in Japan most recently, are truly terrifying. It is simply out of our control.

Yet, water sustains our life. It makes our planet unique. On a hot day, A cold drink of water, with ice cubes clinking in a glass, is the definition of refreshment.

I pray for those suffering through the aftermath of earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan. I know that many have experienced the power of water first hand. I hope that they will receive the life-sustaining refreshment of water during this crisis.

H2O: it puts things into perspective.

The Eyeball & Super Timmy

A little background… I have the very exciting, and often challenging role of leading the children’s sermon at my church.  Our process is to have one of the kids take home a large plastic tool box each week.  The following Sunday, they bring the box back with something in it.  I have seen toys, books, stuffed animals, trophies, even a bowling pin and a sock.  My job is to come up with an appropriate, and hopefully Biblically based story that relates to whatever is in the box.  It’s not an original idea.  I’ve seen it done at another church we attended in Lynchburg, Virginia.  It definitely keeps me on my toes.

Yesterday, I opened the box to find a plastic jar, half-filled with little rubber super-balls.  Yikes.  Where was I going with this?  As I stalled for time, I was relieved to find out that one of the balls was designed to look like an eyeball.  That led me to talk about how the Old Testament refers to “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”  And this was countered by Jesus in the New Testament when he told his followers that they should love their enemies.  I asked the children how Jesus would want them to treat somebody who had pushed them down at the playground.

And that’s when my own son spoke up.  Timothy promptly stood up, declared himself “Super Timmy,” and said, “If someone pushed me, they are bad, and I would have to beat them up.”  The congregation thought this hilarious.  I just shook my head and said, “I better have a talk with your dad.  He needs to do a better job of teaching you to love your enemies.”  The congregation roared with laughter.

It made for a great lesson.  My lesson in humility didn’t hurt either.

Sigh.  I wonder what will be in the box next week.  So does Super Timmy.