10-05-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
October 5, 2021
You probably read the news that William Shatner, otherwise known as Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, is actually going to space. He will fly on Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle in one week. Shatner is a young 90 years old. For this Star Trek fan, it’s pretty cool! We’ve seen a few actors do commercials and say, “I’m not a real doctor, but I played a doctor on tv” to give the impression of some level of expertise. I’m sure there is some legal issues involved, but there is an attempt to blur the line between fiction and reality. But next Monday, a tv spaceship captain, will really fly into space. It’s made me wonder how many people attempting to follow Jesus have felt like they should say, “I’m not a real Christian, but I played one at church.” We feel as if our Christ-like living comes up short, and for most of us, there is some truth there (I can confess that myself). Yet I wonder if there are days when we do stretch ourselves beyond where we are, touching the heavens, touching the dream that seemed unreachable. In Ephesians 5, Paul writes, “…imitate God like dearly loved children. Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us…” Paul, the one who would confess how he would do what he shouldn’t do and wouldn’t do what he should do, still believed imitating Christ was more than a fantasy. Today, I want to be Shatner-like and step off the set where I might have pretended to be a Christian and actually reach for the high ideal of living like Jesus.

Courage is what I seek, Gracious God, as courage is what will allow for my life to resemble the life of Jesus. Amen.

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