[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Monday, December 2, 2013

[Paul]

Hello and good day to my fellow loyal readers out there in cyberspace.  It's good to know that, even though most of you don't comment on what I post, that enough of you do, and that makes all the difference in the world.  Thanks for doing this, whether on one of the various lists or even privately.

Beginning today the articles and pieces posted will focus on Christmas, and by that term I don't mean Santa, reindeer, holly, mistletoe and other things associated with the commercial aspect of the season, but on the "real reason for the season." Today is a case in point.  Peter Lundell wrote an article which I'd like to share with you today.  It's entitled "The Symphony of Life" and is rendered as follows:

My wife and I received tickets to attend the L.A. Symphony Christmas Concert at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral.

Every wind, brass, string and percussion instrument, every bass, tenor, alto and soprano, the soloists and conductor--all had a place and a purpose.  Some were more prominent than others, but all were essential.  And together they sounded phenomenal.

They all had sheet music that laid out the agenda from beginning to end.  Someone could have said, "We have all the music here.  So why play it? Why sing it? We know what it sounds like and how it will progress and end.  The audience could have agreed that many of us were already familiar with most of the music, so we could just go home and do something else."

But knowing how it will sound or how it will end is not the point.  Experiencing it is the point.  We came to be caught up in the wonder of beautiful music passionately played.

When they did highlights from Handel's Messiah, the music soared as if it were alive.  I couldn't help but look to the high ceiling just to check if any angels were flying around.

You and I each have a place in God's grand symphony of His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Just knowing about God or how to live your life is not the point.  Shouldn't we rather be caught up in the wonder of life passionately lived?

We each have a part to play, some are more prominent than others, but all are essential.  What is your part?

To answer that, what is your passion? Your God-given gift? How are you living that out in the grand symphony we call life? You are important to someone, and to God.  Play your life with passion.

And there you have Brother Peter's article, the last part of which begs the question:  If God didn't create each of us individually, what would be the importance of our existing? It would be that, if we were to take a lump of clay and make something beautiful out of that clay, put it in the kiln to fire it and it turned out quite well made, wouldn't we have the satisfaction that what we made was something special? Now I don't know the mind of God, but God thinks that we are something special.  If there is a contrary view here, why would He have made us "in His image and likeness?" (Genesis 1:26-27).  Just something to ponder when we think we're no good and all washed up.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another daily thought message, carefully selected and posted to your various inboxes, whether individually or collectively.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul