2 December Talks

I'm teaching the youth group these next two Sundays preceding Christmas. We're between books in the Bible so I'm being given some freedom. I selected two short stories from my younger days that while not explicitly biblical, do have biblical themes and connections.

This Sunday I will share Dr. Seuss' Bartholomew and the Oobleck. The King of Didd has decided that he is tired of the four things that come down from the sky, and so he orders his royal magicians to create something new to descend from the heavens. The next morning green globs of goo begin to fall and create a sticky mess for everyone in his kingdom. Only Bartholomew, his page, has the good sense to try to warn the kingdom; but he has little success. Finally Bartholomew confronts the King and shames him into repentance. Once the King announces that he is sorry, the oobleck quickly dries up and disappears. I am connecting the story to Pslam 51. King David had similar problems with wanting to live life his way, and not God's way. David paid a heavy price, as did his kingdom. The lessons closes on David's words, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me." Excellent advice at Christmas time.

Next Sunday I will read Tolstoy's Where Love is God Is. I first read this short story in Bill Bennet's Book of Virtures. I often read it to my high school classes at the beginning of the year. Martin Avedeitch is a cobbler who wants to be closer to God. One day he has a handful of encounters with strangers passing by his shoe shop. In each case Martin has the opportunity to help someone in need. Later as Martin reflects on his efforts to help others, he reads Luke 6:27-31, Luke 7:41-50, and finally Matthew 25:35-40. Jesus' words, "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." This hits me right in the chest. I often wonder while performing a random (or not so random) act of kindness who it is in fact that I am serving. For all I know Jesus himself could be that homeless guy on the street corner, or the elderly grandma in the Circle K.

I hope that the youth group gets as much out of these two stories as I did when I was first introduced to them. I pray that God will use me to make a connection to their hearts that clearly defines Christmas and that miracle that is God's love for us.