SEEING GREEN!
What comes to mind when I say the word "green"? An interesting question, isn't it? Before you can determine whether the word "green" is good or bad, you have to first see how it's used in a sentence, right? Depending on the context, green is either darling or disgusting. If you are an environmentalist then being green is a desirable goal. But, to a sea-weary traveler, being green isn't exactly desirable or a goal, as your stomach sings, "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"!
I've seen some green cars that look sharp, others make you want to take a trip to Detroit and slap some faces! My first car was a 1973 Mercury Comet that was a cross between olive and pea soup green. It was truly a color that only a first time car owner could love. But, lately I've seen some cars and that are a kind of sage green and they're fetching indeed!
You just never know if it's good or bad until you investigate. Even when it comes to life and growth such is the case. If you're talking about the beginning breaths of the grass returning to life, green is good. If you're talking about the growth on top the cheddar in the fridge, green is bad. Not to gross you out, but when I used to cook professionally, a friend of mine would constantly search for those pieces of steak that had a nice green sheen. He loved to eat them and when he spied such a find, he acted like he had just found a treasure of monumental proportions! I had a different perspective that I will spare you from for now - you've suffered enough!
Anyway, I think you are beginning to see my point: Green is a hard word to pin down. Well, today for the first time, I noticed a good kinda green. Our grass is starting to spring to life! Have you ever noticed where the grass first begins to grow? Without exception it is always near the foundation of your house, right? The grass never starts to grow in the exposed middle of the yard, it always starts around the house and spreads from there. Why? Because the foundation offers warmth and protection.
In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he describes us, as "fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."(Eph. 2:19b, 20) Paul tells us that the Church is built upon, and grows according to the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Interesting! You would expect Paul to say prophets and apostles wouldn't you? I mean after all the prophets refer to the Old Testament and the Apostles refer to the New Testament. Well, I think Paul was making a point here. The New Testament and Old Testament are both fundamental to our growth, but the New Testament, because of it's further revelation of Christ and His Church is even more foundational!
Which leads us to where Jesus fits in. Jesus is the cornerstone. In Biblical times the cornerstone was key to the trueness of any structure. The cornerstone had to be perfectly square because from it the rest of the structure was built. But what I want you to see from my little foundational foray is that Christ is the beginning, the foundation of any true spiritual growth and the closer you are in proximity to Christ, the more you will grow. Why? Because Jesus is our source of warmth and protection. He is our life-giving source (John 15).
So as the grass around the foundation of our home is beginning to grow and the grass in the middle of our lawn remains dead and brown, let me ask you a question: When people look at your faith, are they seeing green? In other words, where are you planted spiritually these days? Are you in the middle of nowhere, far away from the foundation? Or, are you close enough to Jesus to receive His life giving warmth and protection? Unlike the grass in my yard, you have the choice of where you plant yourself!
Prayer
Lord God, keep us close to the foundation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. May our roots never stray away from that source of protection and life! May our faith always be foundational! May our Christianity always be GREEN!
