SURPRISE!

When I was a student in the turbulent 1960s, a leader in our college’s Christian fellowship organized a “Teach-in on God.” It was a brilliant idea. The name was a deliberate imitation of “sit-ins”—protests against the war in Vietnam. But our purpose was quite different: to make Christ known to our fellow students. We invited a rabbi, a priest, and an atheist each to present his case, gave each one time to respond to each other, then opened the meeting to questions from the floor. Acid-heads, anarchists, and seekers after Eastern spirituality rubbed shoulders in the crush with Army-ROTC Cadets, Orthodox Jews, and others whose commitment was unclear. Many spoke of their search for God.

In the midst of that intense scene, the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff worker who taught the Bible each week to our little group stood up, and in a mild-mannered way said, “As far as I understand the Bible, it is not so much that we are seeking God; it is that God is seeking us. We humans try to avoid God like the plague.” It occurred to me that that “still, small voice” spoke the truth. He was a “voice crying in the wilderness.” (See 1 Kings 19:11-13; Mark 1:3.)

Here is the utterly surprising gospel: We were not seeking God at all; but in Christ he sought us out and found us. What amazing grace!

Prayer

How can we thank you, Lord, for searching until you found us, lost sheep wandering aimlessly? Help us to give our lives to you and to follow you faithfully. In Christ, Amen.

George R. Young