Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Our Stories | Scott Moore

This is my story as reflected through Psalm 73:
1 Truly you, Jesus, came to give us life,
life to the full.
2 But as for me, I was hanging by a thread,
My mind was against me, my being divided.
3 Inside, I saw emptiness;
Outside, I saw fullness.

4 People whose lives seemed…simpler,
uncomplicated by the questions of faith.
5 Unconcerned with truth, they don’t bother with absolutes or universals.
6 They are blown by the winds of self-desire,
and their itching ears listen to whatever they want to hear.
7 They simply live in the world as they see fit:
consume, progress, compare, improve, obsess.
8 Their eyes feast on the kingdoms laid before them,
oblivious to your kingdom.
9 They are content to live in the seen world, saying, “This is all that is, isn’t it?”
10 Some, in a twisted irony, proclaiming no allegiance to you,
embody your good news more than those who proclaim your name.
Many others simply let people be:
walk silently by the homeless person without a twinge of guilt,
flip channels at the sight of yet another starving African child,
laugh quietly at the mentally deranged woman meandering down the street,
ignore their neighbours, cocooning into their caverns.
“Leave well enough alone,” they say.
11 They are enjoying living their own story, and that is enough for them.
12 Look at these people—fulfilling their every desire, they live for themselves.

13 Have I followed you only to lose my life?
14 Have I taken this path only to find hardship and mental anguish?

15 My mind betrays you, yet I carry on. Seeking. Searching.
16 When I try to understand who you are, my mind fails me.
I cannot rationalize you, cannot capture you, cannot grasp you, cannot think you.
17 Then I catch but a glimpse.
In a moment of prayer, you are there. For you bend down to listen.
In the story of a friend, you are there. For your glory shines through.
In a conversation with a stranger, you are there. For you are the stranger.
In the unmasked joy of a child, you are there. For you put on no masks.
In a moment of profound gratitude, you are there. For everything is from you.
When reconciliation begins, you are there. For only you can bring us together.
When love arises where it was before unwelcomed, you are there. For you are love.
18 Surely, a life lived selfishly is no life at all.
It is all vanity. Meaningless. A puff of wind, gone before you even know it came.
19 In an instant, the ways of this world will fall into nothingness,
swept away by the blinding light of you.
20 You laugh at their silly ideas, puzzle over their refusal to acknowledge you and cry
over their broken hearts.

21 Then I saw that my heart was still not far from theirs,
for I desired life as I saw fit.
22 I was fiercely independent, seeking my own way -
You must have laughed at my silly ideas, puzzled over my refusal to acknowledge
you and cried over my divided heart.
23 Yet still I am yours,
for your grip on my hand shall always be tighter than mine on yours.
24 Your Holy Spirit guides me – in communion with you and with others,
leading me to the true full life which you have promised.
25 I’ve had enough of independence, of strength, of willpower,
there’s nothing left but you.
26 And in the glimpses I catch, I know that is enough.

27 Those who ignore you will be in continual pursuit of more,
one more thing that will bring true contentment.
28 But as for me, I abandon this futile quest.
How good it is to see God!
God will encompass my entire life, for he is king over all.
And as I catch more and more glimpses of him,
I cannot help but tell everyone of your marvelous deeds and your gracious
character.

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