I recently had occasion to be assistant in an Intro Computer Class. There were nine students confronting three simultaneous obstacles: non-English speaking, unfamiliar with a keyboard, and unfamiliar with computer usage/lingo. The ninety-minute class went quickly through multiple computer skills. The students struggled to follow the instructor’s lesson which was presented rapid-fire in English. Another difficulty was finding the letters on the keyboard in front of them to complete the given instructions. Third, was the flood of unusual verbiage unique to the world of computers. I felt great empathy for them, mixed with pride at their perseverance.
I see similarities for us in our ‘all things made new’ life in Jesus. We come to know him from our place of familiarity with the world, its system, and its language. We are not native kingdom speakers. It’s a strange experience to hear words like joy, peace, patience, kindness, virtue, faith, gentleness, etc. Stranger still to consider nurturing these as new and desirable Christian characteristics.
More, we need to struggle to find our place in all this newness, to get beyond our initial reticence and step out daring to be real and vulnerable and (so) messily childlike. Admitting our great lack is humiliating. This prayer thing, this worship thing, this fellowship thing, is so foreign as we begin our first forays into this new life! Especially if we are surrounded by prayer and worship and fellowship ‘experts’ (we may think, I’ll never get this!)
Finally, there are the vague concepts of hope, faith, love liberally scattered throughout God’s Word. They seem to have completely different meanings from the world’s view. The idea of being or becoming one is mysterious in the extreme. Forgiveness, God-style, is like visiting a country without borders. Grace, presented sometimes as ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ feels too good to be true.
Like the computer class students, we persevere. We make mistakes, try again, make mistakes, try again. We get encouragement and are offered forgiveness from those who’ve been at it longer than we, those who’ve made just as many mistakes and overcome. We discover, to our great surprise, that we are fellow journeyers to the Father’s heart. We need one another. This new life in Christ is not a solo affair. The family of God makes it possible for all to arrive. Home is certain and our homecoming will be spectacular (and our healing will be complete)! PD