Safety

A few months ago I was given a book to read called, Your God is Too Safe and the title alone struck a chord. Perhaps that’s why I haven’t read it yet.

There must be something God wants to say to me about the subject because this week’s sermon also dealt with the “safety” of Jesus Christ.

More chords struck.

And if you’ll remember, I recently wrote a post about people not being safe. I wrote that post in the middle of a lot of confusion and fear. I was struggling through things that I still can’t put words to. I found myself wondering if I could ever really trust anyone.

It took me a couple of weeks to realize that maybe it's ok – better than ok – that people aren’t safe. Maybe the whole basis of trust is acknowledging that relationships are a risk… and leaping headfirst into it anyway, because that person is worth more than fear… because the risks are nothing in comparison to the gains.

Faith also has risks.

Our God isn’t safe.

Over and over again Scriptures describe the restless and raging fury of God’s love (love that song!). It is no mistake that Jesus is described as the Lion of Judah.

The speaker on Sunday - my pastor will be back in the pulpit on Father's day! - quoted from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe:

"Is - is he a man?" asked Lucy
"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king I tell you."

Of course God isn't safe... but He is good.

Faith is taking a leap into the unsafe. It is trusting in the One who has the power to blast you to oblivion with the surety that He CAN destroy you and the certainty that He won't.

We're supposed to tremble before God, with our knees knocking... not in an incapacitating way, but in a way that makes us realize the true depth of His grace and mercy. We are supposed to be afraid of what we deserve so we can appreciate what we have been given.

I've been operating under the wrong kind of fear for far too long. I wish I could say that now that I've acknowledged that, I'll change and it will all be better. Knowing and doing are two very different things, aren't they?

I'll let you know how the book turns out... as soon as I read it.