[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, June 2019]
It Is Important To Remember, Lest We Forget
It is worth asking ourselves why we come to church whenever we do. Some of us, perhaps because we are so busy with various tasks, have forgotten and need to remember that it is about meeting with Christ in the company of others. For some, this truth will need to be realised for the first time.
Christian author Max Lucado writes about a king who had many wives. Of all his wives, he loved one the most. When she died, he grieved deeply. He resolved to honour her by constructing a temple that would serve as her tomb. Her coffin was placed in the centre of a large piece of land and construction of the temple began around it. No expense would be spared to make her final resting place magnificent. As the weeks turned into months however, the king’s grief was eclipsed by his passion for the project. He no longer mourned her absence. The construction consumed him. One day while walking round the site, his leg bumped against a wooden box. The king’s son brushed the dust off his leg and asked a worker to throw the box out. The king didn’t know that he had ordered the disposal of the coffin – now forgotten – hidden beneath layers of dust and time. The one the temple was intended to honour was forgotten.
Max Lucado asks if this is difficult to believe, then asks us to think about ourselves in church. Some remember the one who was slain. They are wide eyed and expectant, like children watching the unwrapping of a gift. Some only see the temple. Their eyes wander, their feet shuffle, their mouths open – not to sing, but to yawn… all temples lose their lustre after a while. The temple gazers don’t mean to be bored. They love the church, they come every week. They don’t mean to grow stale, but something is missing. The One they once planned to honour hasn’t been seen in a while. But those who have seen him can’t seem to forget him. They find him, often in spite of the temple rather than because of it. They brush the dust away and stand ever impressed before his tomb – his empty tomb.
The temple builders and Saviour seekers. You’ll find them both in the same church, on the same pew – at times, even in the same suit. One sees the structure and says, “What a great church.” The other sees the Saviour and says “What a great Christ!” Which do you see?
It is important not to lose sight of Christ in all that we do, so once you’ve started to put Christ back at the centre of church, don’t stop there. Take this attitude, this awareness with you to work, take it home with you, take it to the shops with you, take it everywhere you go. Christ won’t barge in, but he is waiting patiently to be recognised, to be invited in.
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20)
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Contributed by David Makanjuola; © the Author
