I’m a sucker for a good novel. I’m totally fascinated by the supernatural. Since I am now free of syllabi, I’ve been reading all kinds of things… from Tolstoy to Rivers, Nabokov, Fitzpatrick and now, Meyers. Oh man, what a confession! If I just say her last name, maybe you won’t pick up on it. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, don’t worry about it. If you do, I only read the last one of the series, promise! I didn’t seek it out; someone brought it to me.
Take Harry Potter (yes, I have read them all). He has a mysterious power that reaches beyond magic because of unparalleled love given from his mother. The author Francine Rivers writes of characters who overcome tragedy and have powerful experiences; they love and sacrifice beyond what seems normal. Meyers (ahem, in her series “Twilight”) sets up an intricate story of thought-of villains who become powerful creatures of love, exerting supernatural power, intimacy beyond human ability and a family structure most humans only dream of. I’m completely taken by them all. If you cannot relate, let me ask you this... Do you have a favorite movie or TV show? Think about why you like it so much. Is it the fight scenes or the witty humor? Whatever it is, it’s not “real life.”
This clearly got me thinking… why am I, along with the rest of the world, so moved by these stories? I believe its because we long for some supernatural power that is real. I know I do. As humans, we long to be a part of something that makes us special, makes us different. Here is the beautiful part: I AM a part of a supernatural story! That gets my blood flowing!
Consider what Jesus has done for sinners (aka… me and you). Consider the story He has willingly given us. In Ephesians, apostle Paul writes about husbands loving their wives, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things, that she might be holy and without blemish.” Paul is describing what Christ has done for his children… children who have an ENTIRE, perfect kingdom waiting for them to arrive. Think about what Paul is saying Jesus has done for believers… “gave himself up,” “sanctifying her,” “cleansed her by the word,” he wants to present us in splendor, being made perfect! How more supernatural and powerful can you get!?
We were made perfect in God’s image to begin with (Gen 1:26, 5:1), and then we messed up (not surprising). The twist in the story came when God sent his perfect (PERFECT) son to die in our place! Then, He gives those who believe in Him a “new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph 4:24). Christians, we are being made more like Christ everyday, to be presented in splendor before the throne of God! It’s true, it’s real, and no author could write a story like it.
Jesus came to make the unclean clean (1 John 1:9), the hurting healed (James 5:16) and the impossible possible (Mt 19:26) by taking on our sin! The good news: the supernatural happened so that we might be saved from hell. It is real and it is a free gift to whoever desires to believe. If that is not a miraculous story, I’m not sure what is.
Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
My soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
To sprout up before all the nations.
Oh I could say so much more! God alone CAUSES righteousness and praise, it’s not up to our to-do list or our own will; alone we are powerless. With Christ, we have everything we could ever want.
