Whatever else might characterize God...
Illustration
Whatever else might characterize God, Frank was convinced that an outrageous sense of humor was one of God's major attributes. Or maybe a sense of irony was a better description. Or, perhaps, a keen understanding of the power of the ridiculous.
Humorous, ironic, ridiculous, impossible, counter-cultural, absurd ... However one looked at God's actions through Jesus Christ, there could be little doubt of their lasting impact, the continuing power of those actions in the world.
Having grown up in a Christian nation, Frank could only try to imagine the experience of persons in the early church. It was one thing for Frank to proclaim the amazing story of strength in meekness, of glory in crucifixion and death leading to resurrection. It must have been quite another thing altogether for Christians of the first century to spread such an incredible tale -- a story of a carpenter whom they proclaimed a king, a savior who couldn't even save himself, a messiah who wouldn't fight, the Son of God who died a criminal's death.
Yet spread the tale they did, and many died for their boldness. That was nearly 2,000 years ago, and while he wasn't called to die for his faith as were the first century Christians, he knew the story made no more sense now than it did then. Some things you just had to take on faith.
-- Fannin
Humorous, ironic, ridiculous, impossible, counter-cultural, absurd ... However one looked at God's actions through Jesus Christ, there could be little doubt of their lasting impact, the continuing power of those actions in the world.
Having grown up in a Christian nation, Frank could only try to imagine the experience of persons in the early church. It was one thing for Frank to proclaim the amazing story of strength in meekness, of glory in crucifixion and death leading to resurrection. It must have been quite another thing altogether for Christians of the first century to spread such an incredible tale -- a story of a carpenter whom they proclaimed a king, a savior who couldn't even save himself, a messiah who wouldn't fight, the Son of God who died a criminal's death.
Yet spread the tale they did, and many died for their boldness. That was nearly 2,000 years ago, and while he wasn't called to die for his faith as were the first century Christians, he knew the story made no more sense now than it did then. Some things you just had to take on faith.
-- Fannin
