Work in progress

Wait I fixed something... Walking in the park Going my own way The dogs they bark The children play For a moment Our worlds collide Then they drift away A walk in the park On this sunny day Sometimes my life Seems so so big But now it’s small I take a breath I’m just a part A part of it all Our worlds collide Then they drift away A walk in the park On a sunny day A couple holding hands A leaf blows past my face Butterflies dance I drink in this grace It’s only happenstance To find myself in this place To be caught up in life’s dance Come together, pull apart Round and round We are all part Our worlds collide Then they drift away A walk in the park On a sunny day

Veil Lifted

The greatest compliment I think I’ve ever been given came from my dear friend, Mike, about a month ago.  He’s known me since we were kids and we have some of the best and deepest conversations. In the midst of once such conversation, I said something about my innate need to seek knowledge.  He said, “No, you are driven to UNDERSTAND.” 

It’s funny how if you forget you have sunglasses on, the glare of a hot sun doesn’t bother you as it beats off the pavement or sends powerful glares off cars that speed by.  Take off those glasses as you ride down the highway on a bright, sunny day and the first thing you do is squint..why? Because the light is bright and your eyes aren’t adjusted. The glare off a passing window hurts when the beams of light accost your eyes. Remove those shades and the comfort fades away, you find that you see and experience things that you were oblivious to behind the comfort of the tinted plastic lenses. 

Over the past few years since Pat passed away, the veil over my eyes has been removed in many ways -- and I’m thankful, truly thankful.  When I look back on views I held, news bits and memes that I shared a few years ago, I’m ashamed at my ignorance and humbled by my arrogance. I once believed things like if you were a Christian you practically “had’ to be a Republican and that saying “all lives matter” was an absolute appropriate response to “black lives matter.” I balked at the idea of white privilege, although having lived in the South I definitely had more understanding of the concept and didn’t believe it did not exist. Nope, I just questioned whether I had any of it. 

Months ago, my brother - a liberal - messaged me out of the blue and began berating me on how could I support Trump given X, Y and Z. First, I was stunned by his anger because I’ve not been a big “Woo-hoo, Go Trump!” person. My first reaction was , “What the heck?” and the attack frustrated me. In the midst of it he was asking “How can a professing Christian tolerate these things?” That caught my attention. I had already seen very clearly the effect that was produced on unbelievers by “Christians” loudly ranting about their “rights” and not wearing masks. When those on the outside see that what you are saying/supporting  is in opposition of what you are professing to believe, there’s a problem, Houston. I realized that his anger came from confusion - how could I say “A” and seem to condone “B”?  By the way - I'm thankful to him for this conversation. God blessed me in ways I could understand at that moment.

When explaining my stance to him, I said that I’ve accepted the things Trump  did that I felt were good and possibly ignored the things about his personality that I didn’t like. I heard about his nastiness on Twitter but as long as he was mainly doing what I thought was good, I didn’t pay much attention and attributed it to his abrasive personality that I “didn’t have to like if he was getting the job done.” . He said this to me near the end of our conversation, “Your whole defense of Trump now is that anything other than a bend-over backwards generous interpretation of his words, with nothing worth of blame unless it is spelled out in exact literal words, is absurd.  Interpretation and applying context are absolutely necessary parts of communication and not “mind reading.” And you would never argue otherwise, unless it’s necessary to defend what you want to defend.”  Now, above all else, as Mike said, I strive to understand. Why was I not trying to understand where my brother was coming from and what he was seeing? I prayed that God would help me to see this, to understand, that He would give me wisdom.

And the veil lifted. It was like being hit with a tsunami.  I’d already been watching the hateful things - and the very blind things, being shared on the left and suddenly I could clearly see the hateful things and the very blind things being shared on the right. I was already in a bit of shock over the rage/anger of anti-mask Christians focusing on perceived personal rights. “The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.” It lessened the blow as I saw the things my brother saw coming from right-wing Christians. So much wrath on both sides. Armed with misinformation, distrust and a “stick with the party line” mentality, both sides have created a war zone.  I find myself in the middle, caught in the crossfire but seeing the need to STOP. LISTEN. LEARN. CHANGE.

Today, I was told something I’ve been told a lot lately, “I don’t know who you are anymore.” That’s okay, because now I understand better than ever who I really am and who I am supposed to be.  I’m a Christian, a Christ follower.  I think that aligning myself with a political party made me forget that or not fully grasp its meaning. Yes, I’m an American and so proud and so grateful to have been born into this land… but I’m a Christ follower FIRST. What I believe and support politically has to be in line with His Word and not the other way around. I can’t try to build my theology around a party platform. Facebook “memories” have come back to haunt me and showed me how clearly I was doing that and I repent. The steps of the righteous man are ordered by God, not by political affiliation. My walk with Jesus and my obedience to His Word is more important to me than any social acceptance that groupthink would give me. .   

As Mike said, I’m one who seeks to understand. This means I want to know facts. I will research. The veil has been lifted, the sunglasses removed - I won’t just accept the party line on racism and Black Lives Matter when Jesus tells me to love my neighbor and esteem their needs more highly than my own. I won’t accept the party line when it comes to COVID-19 and all the many facets of *that* crisis.  When I see abject falsehood and lies, I’m likely to share wherein the deception is found. My continual prayer is that the Lord will help me line up my stances with His Word and His heart. 

One thing I need to get better at is praying for those that are currently blowing my mind with the lack of empathy for the dead, sick, injured or oppressed. It’s way too easy to fall into a different kind of separation, one that is not related to “be holy as I am holy,” or “come out from among them and be separate.” I don’t want to allow the middle to turn into a new clique where we look down our noses at  those on the outside.  The middle needs to be a place of where we take the time to understand,where there is discourse, where first we care, we listen and we talk, and then we work together. 

And so, to the many people who say, “Who are you? I don’t recognize the person you," or "I'm surprised at your position." I’m really not different. Since early 1984 Jesus has always come first for me; I just didn't realize yet how I was trying to conform Him rather than be transformed. The same girl that tried to understand 45 years ago is the one who wants to understand and do better now. 

Racial Injustice and you...

Racial injustice.Watch Phil Vischer’s video, PLEASE.(I’ll include it again in the comments).  I’m seeing many comments/posts where people say, “I’m not a racist; this is division caused by the media. I’m not apologizing to anyone.I don’t see racism where I live.” If you are not a racist, are you an American citizen? If you are, you should believe in liberty and justice for ALL. If you are not a racist, are you a Christian believer? If you are, then you should want to show you are His disciple by your LOVE. No one is asking you to apologize -- it is wonderful if you do not engage in bigotry, but it is not enough. We have an obligation to our fellow man to CARE. 

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan.  When a Israelite traveler was beaten, robbed and left for dead, the priest -a respected man in his community - saw him and walked to the other side of the street. The injured man wasn’t his problem; he didn’t beat him. Pfft, and the last thing he wanted to do was become ceremonially unclean and screw up his plans.  The Levite, also a respected member of his society, also passed by seeing the injured man dying on the roadside. He, too,left him there.  A third man then happened upon the fallen traveler. This man was a Samaritan, he was hated by the Israelites and yet when he saw this man with his injuries left for dead on the roadside, he took compassion on him. He cleansed his wounds with oil and wine, but him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn. There he paid the innkeeper to tend to him until he returned, promising to pay whatever further costs were accrued.

When Jesus was through telling this story, he turned to the man, an expert in the law, with whom He was engaged in conversation and asked,  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”  Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Did you read that? GO AND DO LIKEWISE.  Sorry, we don’t get a free pass to cross to the other side of the street and pretend our neighbors are not being oppressed. We don’t get to be respected and comfortable in our lives.  We are commissioned by our Savior to DO SOMETHING. How about instead of complaining - listen. Instead of absolving yourself, educate yourself at the how/why/what of the matter. Instead of blaming it on the media, perhaps turn off the TV and spend some quality time exploring ways you can make a difference. You may not have caused the wounds, but like the Good Samaritan you can bandage them and become part of the healing process. 

Amos 5:24  “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

Zechariah 7:9  “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”

Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

What does your letter say?

For all of us Christians, do you ever ask yourself who am I? What is your identity? If you ask yourself who you are, what first comes to mind? Think on that for a minute. Does redeemed child of God come first or is it somewhere after things like, “Teacher, Mechanic, Republican, Patriot, mother, father, friend, artist, poet….” Or is Believer first?  If it is not, then think about why bondservant of Christ is not #1. Where is your treasure? Where your treasure is, there, indeed, is your heart.  Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, and ALL your strength. Do you see that in yourself? Are the other things in line with Christ-follower?  2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.’ We need to examine ourselves often and, yes, it is very uncomfortable and even terribly painful at times. You know that speck in our own eye that we need to look at? Find it. (I guarantee you, God will work on you and you’ll find another and another. I feel like I’m layered like an onion. One layer comes off and reveals another new sin God wants me to see and repent of ). 

Move on to the next question: John 14:15 says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment? Look in the paragraph above - love Him with your ALL because He is your ALL in ALL. What’s the second? To love your neighbor as yourself.  Ephesians 5:29 states that, “for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.” We should be loving others as Christ loved us - sacrificially, Ouch. That’s hard. And yet, this is the mark of a Believer. In John 13:35, Jesus tells us, ““By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Look at verse 34 because He says, “as I have loved you.” Again, how does He love us? Yes, sacrificially. What is involved in that? I won’t list all of the verses here because the whole BIble joyfully shouts it - go the extra mile, give the cloak as well, esteem the needs of others more highly than your own. Visit the sick, the imprisoned, comfort those in mourning.  Love your enemies. Pray for those that persecute you. Do good to those who despitefully use you.  How should we do it?? WITHOUT grumbling and complaining. (Yikes, also hard).

Next question: who are the people that are going to know us by our love? The world. Those outside. Unbelievers. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone," Col. 4:5-6  Our lives are no longer our own, they are hidden with Christ in God. Those lives we live in the flesh have a purpose - to share  the Good News, to do the good works that were created beforehand for us to walk in. Whatever we do in word or deed, we are to do it all to glorify Him. That’s humbling, isn’t it? This is what the world should see. (Thank goodness for Romans 7, because this is a tall order but we have a GREAT Savior).

2 Corinthians 3:3 “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Another question:  what does your letter say? 

Okay, this is where the pictures come in. This is a very small sampling of the reaction the world has to the letter many of us are sharing with them during these days of COVID19 - and it is not pretty.  It is bringing shame to the name of Jesus.  Some of us have made a huge issue about the masks - and yes, I know you have your “right to your own opinion,” but I ask - who are you in Christ? Who do you belong to? Whose opinion should you have?  If you have been bought with that precious blood, then earthly “rights” and “treasures” should pale compared to the divine wonder of serving Jesus. 

These pictures are just a couple of comments answering believers who proclaim their faith but also loudly protest the wearing of masks. I’ve seen so many more - and I’ve seen believers posting that “everyone who knows me knows I am good, kind, etc.…”  Yes, and to people who know you this is likely very true -- but what does your letter read to those Outside. What do they see? That, my friends, is where the rubber meets the road. If we are to be 1) subject to governing authorities and 2) show our love by our actions (faith without works is dead) and the world sees the simple discomfort of a mask as a way to show the beautiful caring heart of Christ, how can we do otherwise?  Where is our treasure? And is not the God we profess able to strengthen us and uphold us through such a small discomfort? We have brothers/sisters in Christ around the world dying to spread the Gospel and yet this small act of love is protested loudly and with tremendous complaint all over social media. Read Matthew 5:43-48 - we should go beyond loving ourselves, loving our own household.  

We represent Jesus. We should be shouting 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” rather than stomping our feet about our rights being violated by an act of kindness (that many work hard to dig up anything that will get us off the hook from doing).  If it doesn’t hurt you that unbelievers are appalled by the ranting and raving over masks, ask yourself again who you are.  If you are not happy with the answer, repent, put your focus back on Him, remember His love for you and let Him write the letter He wants you to share with the world. 

**Yes, these comments have foul language; I’m sharing these few so we who are His see us as the world sees.There are far worse.  Is this what we, the Church, want our letter to the outside to read?  Remember, these are in response to professing Christians publicly complaining about masks. (The ones criticizing government officials are awful, too. I look back on my past political posturing and I am so ashamed). Let’s walk circumspectly, members of the Body. 

To ere on the side of kindness

One thing my children probably heard me say 100 times or more is, "It is better to be safe than sorry."  That means it is better to be cautious than potentially wind up hurting yourself or someone else.  We live in a day where caution and safety are being urged by our government officials --- and the mobs are yelling, "No!" Their claim is that by doing these things, we are allow our rights to be stolen. I firmly believe that if we, as Christians, are to be in error, we should err on the side of kindness.

To be cautious is not to be fearful.  Caution is a having a healthy respect for danger. Ephesians 5:15-17 states, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Circum means around, spect means to look. We are to look all the way around a situation in order not to be foolish.  To be cautious out of love for your neighbor fits right in with the teachings of Christ.

Eugene Parks writes for Gospel Coalition that "Our Idols Are Exposed in Times of Crisis." Hoarding toilet paper is a great example of this. There are many others during this pandemic.  A non-believer read a professing Christian's newsfeed. He saw lots of "Jesus loves you," and "I follow Jesus," on her feed. He also saw hateful slander. He saw a refusal to act in courtesy and love for sake of caution towards others. He pointed out - after expressing his extreme discuss for people who "Hail, Jesus" but hate their neighbor and refuse to act in love - that he thought this was America where we would go the extra mile to help our neighbor.  Was he seeing it in Christians? No.

If ever a time the world could call Christians hypocrites, it is now. When one is asked to be mildly inconvenienced (to wear a mask in public places), and to freak out and say it is violating your rates is diametrically opposed to everything the Bible teachers us about imitating Christ.  We are asked to wear it because enough public health experts believe it will help prevent the spread to *others* if we are asymptomatic carriers. Imagine Jesus saying to you, "Child, please do this to show your love for these weak or elderly that I love?" Would you turn to Jesus and said, "The government is just trying to force me to be compliant. Give an inch, they'll take a mile. This expert or that expert says it could possibly be useless or hurt me or..."  Yes, we heap up prophets to tell us what our itching ears want to hear to avoid a basic command: LOVE.  How did Jesus love us? Sacrificially. Unbelievers are seeing this and Jesus is being scorned.

Sadly, what happens when we get the opportunity to show that love in a small way?  Anger. Outrage. Demand for "our rights." Fear of our liberties being taken away.  Walk circumspectly - how does the world see this? How does Jesus see this?

Eugene Parks shares this verse and writes, "“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 16:24–25).

Jesus calls us not to double down on our freedom, but to sacrifice it out of love for our neighbor. There is no better time to do that than now."

Images from all over the world show people - of all faiths and no faith- accepting inconvenience for the sake of trying to prevent neighbors from the spread of COVID19. Conspiracy theorists want us to take that loving compliance as foolishly giving away freedom to those with nefarious intent. And yet, in Matthew 5:46-47 Jesus says, " If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" If the world finds it a necessary sacrifice to be part of the solution, why are we so self-centered? Colossians 4:5 reads, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."

1 Peter 2: 16-25 "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.  For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,  who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;  and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."

Bought with a price...

In recent times, I have had more several tell me that they are "shocked" that I am not joining in with the railing against "loss of liberties" or that I'm "not the same person" because I don't believe this is all a wild hoax meant to enslave us and take away the American way.  My answer to that is - if that was who I was expected to be, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that He has chosen to deliver me from being that woman!  I'm completely ashamed that I would have been thought to be "that" person; I publicly repent if that's who I seemed to be. I can't be her and follow Christ. I'm not interested in the political aspects of this - I'm interested in loving my neighbor and subjecting myself to restrictions meant to protect them.  I have been bought with a very high price, I've been commanded to be a living sacrifice. Sometimes I don't do such a great job living in a way that shows that, but it is my strongest desire.

Many of the Jews that followed Jesus were hoping He would be this conquering warrior, taking down Roman rule. He was not. He came telling them to deny themselves, to take up their crosses and follow him. When I look at God's Word, I see it telling me to put the needs of others more highly than my own, to subject myself to governing authorities, to go the extra mile and be ready to give the proverbial "shirt off my back," etc. In fact, it tells me that I should not love my earthly life so much that I'm not willing to lose it for His sake.  What I do NOT see anywhere in Scripture is that I should esteem my personal liberties or material wealth so highly that I would risk causing other people illness or death.  I'm am NOT being prevented from worshipping God or sharing my faith. Therefore, I can search and search for it, but there is no Biblical mandate for me to rant and rave about measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID19.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told "These three remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love."  I have *faith* - God is my provider, He has shown me this repeatedly.  My trust is not in the economy, in the Bill of Rights, etc and so forth --- and it is not that I don't like those things -- it is simply NOT where I place my faith. I'm aware that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away," with Job I agree, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  My *hope* - well, I'll echo the songwriter who said, "My hope is built in nothing less than Jesus' love and righteous, I dare not trust the sweetest frame buy wholly trust in Jesus' Name." All other ground is sinking sand; I believe March and April have proven that. And then there is *love* and doesn't the Word of God ask us lay down our lives for our friends? Over and over I see the Word place honor on life.  I challenge you to search out what the Bible says on the value of life and on materialism - they are spoken of quite differently.

My friend shared this verse the other day, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable?" Matthew 6:26  I believe that. Think on what that tells you about the value of the individual and of Who does the providing.

To the people who are saying this is a hoax and dismissing the suffering people in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere and who can't believe I'm not in agreement- shame on you. The appearance is that of people trying to justify their hardness of heart. You may share your conspiracy theories, you may rant all you want, but I have friends and family in the thick of this and it is REAL. I've also heard people attempt to justify their positions with "it's the elderly and immuno-compromised who are dying," as if those people do not matter!  They matter to Jesus and they matter to their loved ones.  Some of these people will talk about how if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would still die for you...and yet, this?  Interestingly, some of the people who I've seen doing just this are the same ones I see publicly grieving the deaths of their loved ones long after their passing. They, of all people, should know how profound an effect grief and loss have.  God values each of those - the elderly and the folks with underlying conditions - that you would like to sacrifice on the altars of materialism and "freedom"  that you don't want to wear a mask or spend a short time restricting your movement; however, I don't believe He values your selfishness.  If you are a Christian and doing this, doubly shame on you - because the Word teaches you better.

As far as me not being the woman "you know" because I don't want to run down your rabbit hole:  I'm the same me who studied pandemics as a hobby two decades ago, making my family laugh as I was thrilled to be given books on the bubonic plague and small pox as gifts. I'm the same me listening to lectures from microbiologists, reading peer-reviewed journals, and reading news from all parts of the globe and both sides of the political aisle in order to better understand this. I'm still a patriotic American who believes in the Bill of Rights - I just don't see it being violated. Not at all.  I've shared enough *actual facts* about the transmission and the unrealisticness of separating all elderly and immuno-compromised people. I've shared cold hard truth about how it is NOT comparable to the flu (or to car accidents, to getting whacked by a chainsaw killer, or whatever nonsense you want to compare it to), in order to pretend it isn't a brand-new, deadly evolving situation where the data is still being accumulated. I'm the same woman and I love Jesus more than all the other aspects of me, my life, etc.

This whole thing reminds me of a couple of songs --

Meatloaf sang, "I'll do anything for love, but I wouldn't do that..." In this case, there are some who would do anything for love BUT wear a mask, BUT social distance, BUT submit to government authority.

Michael Card sang, "What will it take to keep you from Jesus, keep you from heeding His call? A simple excuse of a heart that is hard, a reason that's nothing at all." Jesus gave the example of submitting to earthly authorities. A question I ask myself, is what I love in this life keeping me from following Jesus? If it is, I pray for help to let it go.  Sometimes its hard, very hard, and trials/temptations are allowed to refine me - but I've counted the cost and nothing surpasses the joy that comes from knowing Him.

Therefore, I am not sorry if I'm not who you expect me to be.

Eustace and Aslan...shedding our dragonish ways

We often try to "fix ourselves" with all sorts of self-help endeavors. These are not bad things; it is good to evaluate ourselves and to become aware of our failings and shortcomings. However, we see only skin deep - the Lord sees the heart. It is good to accept those things in our life that reveal to us how very much we cannot do it on our own, how great our need for our Savior truly is.  In "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" “...I looked up and saw the very last thing I expected: a huge lion coming slowly toward me. And one queer thing was that there was no moon last night, but there was moonlight where the lion was. So it came nearer and nearer. I was terribly afraid of it. You may think that, being a dragon, I could have knocked any lion out easily enough. But it wasn’t that kind of fear. I wasn’t afraid of it eating me, I was just afraid of it—if you can understand. Well, it came close up to me and looked straight into my eyes. And I shut my eyes tight. But that wasn’t any good because it told me to follow it.” “You mean it spoke?” “I don’t know. Now that you mention it, I don’t think it did. But it told me all the same. And I knew I’d have to do what it told me, so I got up and followed it. And it led me a long way into the mountains… there was a garden—trees and fruit and everything. In the middle of it there was a well… The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first… So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place… But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before... Then the lion said—but I don’t know if it spoke—‘You will have to let meundress you.’ I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it. The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know—if you’ve ever picked the scab off a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.” “I know exactly what you mean,” said Edmund. “Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off—just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt—and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me—I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on—and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again.”1

C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (New York: Harper Collins, 1994), pp. 113–16. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 ESV