h2odevos encores 032712 Crossroads

"A painted sky is fading, 

come and take my hand

For all the roads you travel 

only this one will stand

Pick up what is precious

 make light your load

'Cause whistle trains keep rollin'

Airplanes will fly

Anchor chains keep rising we must

Sail on to the Golden light

Where the rusty red horizon is falling

The do's of the day surrender to the night

And they all come together in the golden light

Set these moments in your heat however great or small

The first rose of summer the last leaf to fall

Keep on singing that first son the one that claims you after all"

Golden Light by Peter Mayer and Jay Oliver

I have a green backpack that a colleague has assessed by stating, "You could live for a week or two with all that stuff you have in there." It's probably true. I have my laptop in there along with other necessary electrical devices, palm pilot, cell phone, ipod, cd player (just for those songs that haven't made it onto the ipod), an extension cord and backup batteries. Then I have provisions -- dried fruit, fresh fruit, almonds, books, water and a couple of energy bars. Other secret compartments contain an emergency pair of underwear (I know, TMI-too much information), change, some vitamins and basic guy stuff.

Yesterday I was going through security at LAX on my way to Seattle. I was in a hurry (what else is new?), and I had checked a bag. So I just had my backpack and myself. I know the drill, the routine quite well. I had taken off my shoes, my coat and had placed my laptop in those grey bins. My green backpack went through, and the TSA personnel examined it. I heard him say those fateful words, "bag check." So, the backpack  was taken to the end of the area and examined. After what appeared to be a rather long time, the backpack was sent back through the machine. Once again the words were uttered, "bag check." And we went through the process again. Now, I am not the most patient person of all time, but I  remained pretty cool. (I actually did, and if this wasn't Lent, I'd really be quite proud of myself, but I'm working on being humble these days) So, the backpack went through the screening process again. This time another person came over and looked  through the x-ray screening process. She appeared to be a supervisor of sorts and came to me with the backpack and asked a question, "Do you have a cross in your backpack?" I remembered that I did indeed have a cross which I had worn a couple of Sundays earlier when I preached at Sue Ann's church. I nodded my head, pulled the cross out of the backpack and showed it to the person. She said, "The cross was the problem."

I gathered up all my stuff and proceeded rather quickly down to my gate.

Those words, "The cross was the problem," rang through my head for the next couple of hours. It made me think of what St. Paul wrote in I Corinthians:

"18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Each day we find ourselves experiencing crossroads. I think Peter's advice is very helpful as we attempt to live our lives:

For all the roads you travel only this one will stand

Pick up what is precious make light your load

Peace,

rtg