Coffee Shop Days

I've been busy reading and writing papers this week with a deadline looming. My mother-in-law is visiting, and she is graciously watching the kids while she's here. But with her and the kids around, being at home has not been conducive to getting any work done. I live quite a ways away from the seminary library, so I've found myself trying out different study haunts during the day. The best places to hang out and work seem to be coffee shops. It's fascinating just being in a place where you can watch people--there truly are all kinds.

I've had to wear my headphones and listen to music all week to avoid getting caught up in surrounding conversations. The deluge of constant music has been nice--I feel like a teenager again. Such public places filled with unknown faces are intriguing, but they often often fill me with a sense of sadness. This kind of feeling is more common when I attend a place like a disco or a club, but it has even happened in traffic. There are times when I am overwhelmed by a burden for humanity. I can't help but wonder if they know God, if they love Him, if they comprehend why they're here at all.

I've been reading a book about Ancient Near Eastern thought. One of the things I've learned is that the Creation account in Genesis has many similarities with the 7-day temple dedication services of the Ancient Near East (ANE). The author suggests that the cosmos is akin to God's temple, and humanity is given the priestly role of serving Him in the temple. God's rest is seen as Him establishing His reign and authority, bringing order to His domain. I love this image--the whole universe serves as a place of worship. Like I wrote in my post yesterday, all is centered on God. The creation points to that.

And yet when we look at the incarnation, condescension, love, passion, and death of Christ, suddenly the center of attention changes. Suddenly, God (the Center of all things) is so focused on us that He is willing to pour Himself out to the point of dying a shameful death for our benefit. We, the insignificant creation, become the center of the universe in God's love for us, shown profoundly through the death of Christ. It is the great reversal.

This, I think, is the cause of my sadness. We are meant to focus on God, and yet most are not even aware of Him. He has focused His love on us through His Son; we are made the center, at least for a moment, and yet so many have neither acknowledged nor received His love. The cross is the intersection of God and humanity. Through the death and resurrection of Christ we are lifted up to the heavens with the Almighty. Our hearts are transformed into temples where God can be truly worshipped and where He can truly dwell through His Spirit.

I have hope today because of the wondrous love of God. I pray that I may realize the life He has for me, and I pray that these that surround me in the coffee shop will come to know Him in just the same way.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.