I like the Charlie Brown comics. I think there is much to glean from the wit and wisdom of the late Charles Shultz. The other day I came across a strip that was very pointed.
Lucy, the “Doctor,” is in her booth listening to Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown is talking about how for once in his life he would like to be recognized as a somebody. He is tired of being “invisible.”
As he is talking, the strip ends with another boy coming along and saying, “Since no one else is here, I guess I am next.”
Have you ever felt like Charlie Brown? I think many of us have at one time or another. It is not a good feeling either.
We would all like to think that we could make a difference, that we are noticed at least. This feeling is especially painful as we enter the Easter season and remember the Christmas season. Jesus Christ came into this world to make a difference. And he was certainly noticed. By everyone from the demon possessed to Governor Pilate.
Can you even for a moment imagine what life might have been like if Jesus went unnoticed as he traveled from town to town? Can you wonder what might have been if the shepherds ignored the angels, or the wise men hadn’t seen the star? And what if the cross had been just another cross?
Of course, the Savior was noticed because God’s love stands out. Compassion and Christ go together because Christ is compassion. Jesus was noticed because where others walked by, Jesus stopped. When other’s condemned, Jesus saved. When all were dying in their sin, Jesus took on sin and death and lived, that we might live with him forever. What glorious news!
And guess what? You are noticed, and what you do makes a difference too. It is undeniable that the lives you come in contact with each day are influenced by you and you being there: Your spouse, your children, grandchildren, coworkers and friends, even the person in the drive-through window.
How you relate to each person affects how they see themselves, how they see God, how they see you, and, by reflection, how you see yourself. Your very place in time and history makes you an agent of God, his disciple and friend.
You also make a difference to God, and he notices. Some may smile at that and some may grimace. But God does see you through eyes that are filled with unimaginable love. As we see our reflection in God’s eyes, the love you feel and see causes you to see others with those same “eyes of love.”
You are noticed at Peace Lutheran too. Or any other church. Has anyone ever said, “We missed you at worship or Sunday school or bible study or fellowship?” Well, guess what? You are noticed and missed. You are not an invisible Charlie Brown. Your presence makes a difference in the life of others and in the life of the church.
Come celebrate with me the difference God’s love and the cross makes in all our lives.
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