God’s open door

It is a universal and perpetual failing of humanity that we attempt to
make God over in our own image. Thus, in America, we do not have God —
we have the religious right, the religious left, and a smattering of
competing and nontraditional gods dotting the cultural landscape.

God is at once omnipresent — everywhere visible — except in our daily lives.
He is omnipotent — all-powerful — except when His will conflicts with
our desires. And He is immutable and unchanging, which to many of us
simply means that He is all things to all people.

Most of all, God is — whoever we are and whatever we are fighting for —
on our side. It’s a claim that has been made repeatedly throughout human
history — too often with disastrous results for the men and women whom
we all claim God loves so very much. It’s a claim we especially need to
examine at Easter.

What we best know of God we know as a result of the written and
historical dealings that He has had with men and women as recorded in the
Bible. There we see the record of a perfect creation that turned away
from the Creator, because — in our own minds — we knew better than God
what would lead to our own happiness and fulfillment. There we see God
attempting to establish the rules by which perfection could be restored
amidst His fallen creation — and our inability to comply. There we see
God’s anger at our failure, His frustration at the chasm, His
forgiveness, and His pain at the impasse. And near the end of the Old Testament we see our own gradual and grudging acceptance of our separation from Him — which is the initial and all too often eternal condition of men and women today who are too busy with their own lives, careers, and personal agendas to consider that God just might have an
agenda of His own — and that it might not be in perfect alignment with
theirs.

Thus if in our wisdom we want to fix the world by electing Republicans —
we become part of the religious right. If we prefer Democratic solutions
— then we become part of the religious left. And if we are free
thinkers, then we loudly proclaim God to be one also — and claim His
defection to our cause c?l?bre.

But we rarely stop to consider that God does have an agenda of His own —
and if we read far enough through the Bible to get to the Gospel accounts
of Jesus’ life and death — God lays His cards down on the table. And
unlike what we hear of God’s agenda from many of our fellow men — His
agenda turns out to be larger than the political right or left or center
upon whose behalf we are led to believe God’s efforts are so earnestly
lavished.

God’s agenda cuts across national boundaries and international
law. It shamelessly crisscrosses Democratic, Republican, and independent
political platforms. It erases denominational distinctions. But always
its focus is people — us, you and me.

Easter is all about God’s agenda; hanging out there in the open, for all
to see.

Easter is the door that was barred from the inside of heaven
against our pride and rebellion now thrust wide open — with the
invitation to rejoin God in what He is doing today in His universe.
“Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). Yes, even you; even
me. Easter is the open door that bridges the pride and self-serving
ambitions of you, me, and a world filled with people just like us;
forgives the injustice and ugliness of our rebellion; invites us to begin
again — brand new, but this time in loving partnership with the God who
is there — in the fulfillment of His agenda.

See — I will not forget — “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of
my hands” (Is. 49:16). The God who let us crucify him on Calvary, yet over whom death, our eternal fear, had no power. Easter is the door that
leads back home to God. It is — if we decide to walk through that open
door — our birthday into God’s full universe and loving eternity. It is
the door to a purpose larger than life — and bigger than ourselves. It
is the door to a family — not necessarily the one that we were born into
— but the one that God has lovingly picked for us be a part of
throughout eternity with Him.

Easter is the door to purpose and
leadership and hope that provides the ultimate in human happiness and
fulfillment — because in hanging on the cross, Jesus forever
demonstrated that there is no hidden agenda; no price he would not pay,
to open the door for our return to Him.

So, while you color your hardboiled eggs, hide the chocolate bunnies for
the children to find, and have dinner with your family — consider what
it cost God to open the door into His eternity to people like you and me.
And remember that the best way you can say “thank you” this Easter is by
walking through that open door and joining God in the eternity He always
had planned for you. Happy Easter.