Sandals...
A couple weeks ago, my pastor spoke about a verse that is common even in secular language. He spoke from Luke 15, and if you go to church, I'm sure you've heard the story of the Prodigal Son. If you don't go to church, that expression, "the return of the prodigal" or "the prodigal son returns" are things that pop up now and then in every day in conversation.
I think I must have heard this story a million times. I've always loved it. I love hearing it. I love listening to it in song. (The two best songs about it I've heard are "The Prodigal Son Suite" by Keith Green and "Prodigal Me" by Shane Barnard. If you EVER get a chance to hear these songs, definitely go listen to them!)??Andy shared a new insight into the historical context of this movie that I had never heard before. He talked about how the robe and ring and sandals had value in the first century that I had never heard. When the father gives the son his robe, it is symbolic in that culture of being the guest of honor in the house. The ring is the symbol of authority. The sandals... the SANDALS... are a symbol of freedom! ?????
Slaves never got to wear sandals. Free men wore sandals. The ring was given to people with authority. Authority and freedom. What a gift. And then it got me thinking even more.??There are relationships that I need to redefine in my life. There are work related things that I need to deal with. There are all sorts of things (health, fitness, everything really) that are truly open to me to take control of. I know that I submit myself to the Father, who clothes me as his guest. It is by his grace that I take my authority over my life. It is through his grace that I achieve my freedom. ??I am a fool to not take full advantage of this. I will live in this freedom, and it will define me. Of course, all of this freedom lies in the recognition of need. But it reminds me of a quote from a favorite movie. "So you failed. Alright you really failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You think I care about that? I do understand." Those are our Father's words to us as he holds us. Have you watched "Blood Diamond" yet? If not, you should There is another absolutely INCREDIBLE scene in that movie where a father finds his son, Dia. He says the following:
Dia, What are you doing? Dia! Look at me, look at me. What are you doing? You are Dia Vendy, of the proud Mende tribe. You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. Your mother loves you so much. She waits by the fire making plantains, and red palm oil stew with your sister N'Yanda and the new baby. The cows wait for you. And Babu, the wild dog who minds no one but you. I know they made you do bad things, but you are not a bad boy. I AM YOUR FATHER WHO LOVES YOU. AND YOU WILL COME HOME WITH AND BE MY SON AGAIN
I watched this scene and wept. It was so much more than just statement reflecting in the movie. In that passionate deep voice, I heard God's words to us. We have done bad things. We have done things that are dark. Our hearts have been made dark by all that we see and do in this world. However, we are embraced. Our Father risked all by loving us and standing in front of us, even though we have done the worst. We are forgiven. We are given freedom to be sons and daughters again. We are given authority over our lives, and the ability to make decisions based in the same love that we have been showered with.
This was a blog that was taking shape in my journal. Since embracing this concept, I have found and seen more opportunities to achieve just what I wanted. It was like it wasn't so much that I found a new way, just that my eyes were truly opened to what lay in front of me. Kind of like Indiana Jones when he crosses the invisible bridge in "The Last Crusade." Rightful perspective of your place and my place in the universe as the beloved prodigal son, wrapped in the arms of the father is truly everything...
(Two final notes on this blog:
First, thank you to my beautiful friend Gina who allowed me to steal the picture of her sandals, which are a part of a larger work of art. Aritsts are close to God. They are creators and reflectors of the Spirit working within them. This is true of Gina, and for that, I'm thankful.
Secondly, I apologize for the overuse of movie references. I've got a lot of free time while dealing with the back injury. I've watched a lot of movies recently and am moved by some of them. The ones mentioned here are ones that have left a deep mark on me, in one way or another.)
I think I must have heard this story a million times. I've always loved it. I love hearing it. I love listening to it in song. (The two best songs about it I've heard are "The Prodigal Son Suite" by Keith Green and "Prodigal Me" by Shane Barnard. If you EVER get a chance to hear these songs, definitely go listen to them!)??Andy shared a new insight into the historical context of this movie that I had never heard before. He talked about how the robe and ring and sandals had value in the first century that I had never heard. When the father gives the son his robe, it is symbolic in that culture of being the guest of honor in the house. The ring is the symbol of authority. The sandals... the SANDALS... are a symbol of freedom! ?????
Slaves never got to wear sandals. Free men wore sandals. The ring was given to people with authority. Authority and freedom. What a gift. And then it got me thinking even more.??There are relationships that I need to redefine in my life. There are work related things that I need to deal with. There are all sorts of things (health, fitness, everything really) that are truly open to me to take control of. I know that I submit myself to the Father, who clothes me as his guest. It is by his grace that I take my authority over my life. It is through his grace that I achieve my freedom. ??I am a fool to not take full advantage of this. I will live in this freedom, and it will define me. Of course, all of this freedom lies in the recognition of need. But it reminds me of a quote from a favorite movie. "So you failed. Alright you really failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You think I care about that? I do understand." Those are our Father's words to us as he holds us. Have you watched "Blood Diamond" yet? If not, you should There is another absolutely INCREDIBLE scene in that movie where a father finds his son, Dia. He says the following:
Dia, What are you doing? Dia! Look at me, look at me. What are you doing? You are Dia Vendy, of the proud Mende tribe. You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. Your mother loves you so much. She waits by the fire making plantains, and red palm oil stew with your sister N'Yanda and the new baby. The cows wait for you. And Babu, the wild dog who minds no one but you. I know they made you do bad things, but you are not a bad boy. I AM YOUR FATHER WHO LOVES YOU. AND YOU WILL COME HOME WITH AND BE MY SON AGAIN
I watched this scene and wept. It was so much more than just statement reflecting in the movie. In that passionate deep voice, I heard God's words to us. We have done bad things. We have done things that are dark. Our hearts have been made dark by all that we see and do in this world. However, we are embraced. Our Father risked all by loving us and standing in front of us, even though we have done the worst. We are forgiven. We are given freedom to be sons and daughters again. We are given authority over our lives, and the ability to make decisions based in the same love that we have been showered with.
This was a blog that was taking shape in my journal. Since embracing this concept, I have found and seen more opportunities to achieve just what I wanted. It was like it wasn't so much that I found a new way, just that my eyes were truly opened to what lay in front of me. Kind of like Indiana Jones when he crosses the invisible bridge in "The Last Crusade." Rightful perspective of your place and my place in the universe as the beloved prodigal son, wrapped in the arms of the father is truly everything...
(Two final notes on this blog:
First, thank you to my beautiful friend Gina who allowed me to steal the picture of her sandals, which are a part of a larger work of art. Aritsts are close to God. They are creators and reflectors of the Spirit working within them. This is true of Gina, and for that, I'm thankful.
Secondly, I apologize for the overuse of movie references. I've got a lot of free time while dealing with the back injury. I've watched a lot of movies recently and am moved by some of them. The ones mentioned here are ones that have left a deep mark on me, in one way or another.)
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