He never says goodbye

2010-03-04T15:08:00.002Z

Ruth is a bright young woman in our church who has cerebral palsy. She communicates through an electronic voice synthesiser. Because of her impaired ability to control her hand movements, it’s quite time consuming for her to say anything. Maybe this explains why she has developed an unusual ability to say a lot with so very few words.

I first discovered this gift when visiting Ruth in her home recently, along with Dorothy, who helps lead the life group that Ruth belongs to. I have to say I’m impressed with the quality of care and the dedication of the people who support Ruth in living semi-independently. But inevitably a feature of her life is that people come and go. We were chatting about her story, and I asked her what God meant to her. She thought for a few seconds, and then went to work on her keypad. When it came, her answer completely undid me. She said “He is the One who never says goodbye.”

I could talk for half an hour and say a lot less.

Now here’s the thing. I’m what you might call a “hurry up” kind of person. I get impatient waiting for things. If someone has something to say I like them to get to the point quickly. With Ruth, I have to be willing to wait a while. But I’ve learned it’s worth the wait.

It strikes me that this is true not just of Ruth. It can take time to hear what someone really wants to say. Facts are relatively easy to ascertain; truth can take a little longer. But it’s so much more powerful.

And then there’s God. Just one word from him can change the whole course of my life. But if I’m always in a hurry I’ll miss what he has to say. I think I need to learn to slow down and wait a while.

However,next week I’m off skiing in Switzerland with some friends! I’ll slow down when I get back....

Swimming with the (four-eyed) fishes

2010-02-25T13:00:00.000Z

My friend Caleb has been nagging me for some time to start a blog. First I had to decide what to call it. Here’s the story.

Most animals have eyes that focus in air or in water. The so-called four-eyed fish (Anableps) is unique in being able to do both simultaneously. It seems to me that living as a follower of Jesus requires us to develop the same capacity – perceiving two realities at the same time. What the bible calls the seen and the unseen. This means being alert to the circumstances and needs around us, facing up to reality and not feeling we always have to put a positive spin on things. But at the same time being aware of a different reality. One which although unseen is just as real. One in which different rules apply. And like air and water, these two realities are in fact part of one created order.

We see Abraham swimming with the four-eyed fish when he faces the fact that his body is as good as dead, yet is fully persuaded that God can do what he promised (see Romans 5:18ff)

Or take a look in Hebrews 11, the bible’s four–eyed fish aquarium, and you’ll see Moses weighing up the two realities and reckoning that what comes in the package marked “disgrace for the sake of Christ” is of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.

I don’t always see as clearly as that, but I want to keep working on it. I want to learn to swim with the (four-eyed) fishes.

There’s another thing. You’ve probably spotted that “swimming with the fishes” is another way of saying you’re a dead man. Yup. I think that’s how it works.

The Four-eyed Fish

He never says goodbye

Swimming with the (four-eyed) fishes