Easter

Not putting much on paper these days but I found myself thinking about a post that someone posted a few years ago asking a question about violence in the scriptures and children's ministry. Watching the Anthony Quinn movie, Barabbas, tonight with my parents brought it back to mind. So many of the stories of scripture happened in such violent times. The history of the church after Christ's crucifixion, too. I always found it interesting, the details that the scriptures include and the details they leave out. Our life experiences give depth of meaning to God's stories. Our missing life experiences leave holes in others. Maybe it's God's way of keeping us "childlike." God managed to mix concreteness and unanswered questions because. The scriptures seem clear about not adding to or taking away from the inspired Word of God - violent or not. The Living Word of God came to earth, suffered, died a gruesome death, and still spared us so many of the gory details. Yet for those who suffer and know war and persecution and life experiences that sear souls, their understanding of what Christ did is more intimate than it is for those of us who don't. And the Holy Spirit counsels. We can only listen and shudder and understand that we don't understand except by faith. So God left spaces in His Word, quiet places, where we can ponder what God includes and what He leaves out. And we choose to trust Him even when we don't understand the way Jesus' family and friends and disciples has to trust their Maker and wonder why. The things that are revealed belong to us and the things that remain hidden belong to God (its somewhere in the Word) and that's the way it is. We ponder, we pray, with humble, grateful hearts and minds and spirits. Happy Resurrection Day! Give thanks for your kids and all they've been given and consider all we have to be thankful for...