A famous episode from the...
Illustration
A famous episode from the original "I Love Lucy" television series shows her stomping grapes in a huge vat. One does not have to have seen that particular program in order to be able to visualize the comic possibilities that Lucy was able to bring to that scene. But one dimension was missing from that portrayal which could have made it even more effective -- there was no color! In those days all television was black and white.
When we read about the Lord‚--ôs anger at the sins of those people way back in the time of Isaiah, it is easy to remain blase and unaffected. The references are too obscure, too far away. There is no color for us, in spite of the author‚--ôs colorful imagery of "trampling out the grapes of wrath." We know the author is trying to tell us how terrible sin is, but the images don‚--ôt hit home.
As a result we look at the "Sin Coloring Book," but we never get out our crayons and color in our own sins. We become experts at bewailing sin in general, at confessing other people‚--ôs sins, at condemning those sins to which we are not tempted!
The Lord who comes in Advent trampling out the grapes of wrath wants us to focus on "our own most grevious faults," in blazing technicolor, so that we can avoid judging others and can be made ready to receive the gift of God‚--ôs gracious forgiveness.
When we read about the Lord‚--ôs anger at the sins of those people way back in the time of Isaiah, it is easy to remain blase and unaffected. The references are too obscure, too far away. There is no color for us, in spite of the author‚--ôs colorful imagery of "trampling out the grapes of wrath." We know the author is trying to tell us how terrible sin is, but the images don‚--ôt hit home.
As a result we look at the "Sin Coloring Book," but we never get out our crayons and color in our own sins. We become experts at bewailing sin in general, at confessing other people‚--ôs sins, at condemning those sins to which we are not tempted!
The Lord who comes in Advent trampling out the grapes of wrath wants us to focus on "our own most grevious faults," in blazing technicolor, so that we can avoid judging others and can be made ready to receive the gift of God‚--ôs gracious forgiveness.
