Thoughts Along The Journey

His name was Carl.  He entered the presence of his Saviour last weekend.  His name probably won’t mean much to most of you, but he taught me a great deal about a deep understanding and commitment to the Word, a faithful and consistent walk with Christ, and a constant need to have one’s heart refreshed in the Gospel.

I had heard a lot about Carl in my early days of training for pastoral ministry.  My first significant encounter with Carl was when I passed my theology exam to be licensed and ordained in our denomination.  For those unfamiliar with this process, it’s a means by which a group of churches identifies and affirms those called to pastoral ministry in terms of their theology, life and practice.

Carl was the kind of person who made the proverbial “knees shake” when you walked into a room for a discussion with him.  The theology exam was basically three (3) hours face to face with Carl.  What I learned during that afternoon exam was that explaining the Bible to others was not something you could do from a quick and cursory study.  It took time, energy, perseverance, dialogue with others, and prayer.  It wasn’t biblical understanding just for the sake of being able to explain some intricate biblical text.  It was understanding that would lead to change and transformation in one’s heart and life.

That is what I saw even more as I began to spend time with Carl over the next number of years.  All that he knew about God and the Bible actually worked its way out in his life. Even though I was no longer living in the US, I remember how often he would agree to meet me at an airport or at a coffee shop to listen and share his thoughts, insights and prayers.  The more I listened, the more I began to see the amazing connection between the God of which he spoke, and the life he sought to live.

However, I think the greatest gift that Carl gave me was his regular honest confession of his daily need of the Gospel.  The message that “God is for us” (Romans 8:31-39) was the reminder and refreshment that he sought. 

One summer, I was asked to speak at the opening night of Missions Week for our denomination.  Most of the pastors in our denomination would be present in the audience.  I remember watching many of them file in and take seats in the front rows of the auditorium. I wondered how I could possibly speak in front of such a group of erudite and seasoned pastors.  My message was on the Gospel and its impact on my life in recent days. “If the Gospel was not good news for me again, how could it be good news for those around me who did not know Christ.”  At one point, I turned and looked over at Carl who was sitting in those first few rows.  Tears were streaming down his face and I thought to myself: “I must have said something that wasn’t theological well put.” When I asked him afterwards why he was crying at that particular moment, his reply took me by surprise: “David, the message of the amazing love and grace of Christ for me was just the message that I needed to hear again tonight.  I could not keep back the tears of joy.” 

There it was. The man who had made my “knees shake” during a theology exam, gave me the gift of a life solidly founded on the Word, a willingness to invest in others, and a heart so sensitive to his need of the Gospel that the tears flowed when he heard the ‘old, old story’ once more of Jesus and His love.

Filed under: Godly living, Gospel, Mentoring |