Pray for Steven Curtis Chapman, et. al.

Tragic news found here concerning the family of Contemporary Christian Music singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman. Keep this family in your prayers.

The Irony of Autumn

I went hiking today as the sun began to set. I thought I would have plenty of time to do what I wanted to do and be able to get back before the sun actually set. But, I was wrong. You see, I got lost and behind in my time. At about the point where that grayness exists, (you know that time, it’s too light for the moon to illuminate but too dark to be able to utilize the sun’s rays) right before the sun actually sets, I began getting worried. I began getting scared. I caught myself wondering what I would do if it got too dark to see. How would I get back? Who would I call? What would I do?

At that very moment, I told myself that I wasn’t enjoying the autumn season like I had come there to do. I wanted to escape from society and just revel in the beauty of autumn, and because of the time constraint, because of the loss of light, I was losing that possibility. I was no longer enjoying myself, and the more I realized that, the less I was actually enjoying being outside in autumn. Then, as if almost on cue, my mind wandered to the question, “Why do I want to enjoy autumn?” The obvious answer was because of the trees changing colors, the leaves falling on the ground, the brisk atmosphere that autumn brings. I love that stuff. I love autumn.

After I answered that question, another popped into my mind: “Do I really understand what autumn is?” It was then I realized the irony of my favorite season. You see, more than half of the American population will list Fall as their favorite season without thinking of the ramifications of that. Autumn is nothing more than the death of nature. The leaves don’t change colors and fall because they think, “Hey, I haven’t done this in a while. Let’s be pretty for a change.” NO! They change colors and fall because the life is sucked out of them and they eventually die. The near extinction of all insect life isn’t because they want to play an elongated version of hide-and-seek; it’s because they are freezing to their deaths. The coldness in the air is not some mystical beauty of nature; it is the Earth moving itself away from its source of light and heat. Autumn is not beautiful, it’s morbid.

Once I had come to grips with that very last sentence, I asked myself if God enjoys the “Autumn” of human nature like we enjoy the Autumn of nature. Does God see all the colors of murder, death, and evil and say, “Wow! That’s really cool!”? Certainly not! He hates it. He hates the “Autumn” of humanity. He weeps when he sees death. He cries and agonizes and hurts when he sees humans suffer, when he sees mankind have the life sucked out of it because of sin and The Evil One. He does not enjoy it. Not in the least of bit. You see, however, God just didn’t sit back and hate “Autumn.” He did something about it. God came and experienced “Autumn” just like you and I experience it every day. He suffered, agonized, and had the life sucked out of him while others enjoyed it, not knowing what they were reveling in. Sound familiar? Yes it does. Most people enjoy the Autumn of nature without realizing what they are reveling in. But the God-Man did come and encompass Himself in the “Autumn” of mankind for thirty-three years. At the end of that time, He became “Winter” for 3 days. Then, and now, He is “Spring” immortal, never suffering and dying again.

You see. We can enjoy the Autumn of nature. God has given us that. However, we must realize that we are living in an “Autumn” of mankind, and that is everything but enjoyable. God has given us the ability to no longer be stuck in that death, that suffering, that life-sucking habit we call sin. We can become “Spring” just as God is “Spring.” The question is, are you too caught up in the beautiful facade that the colors and the leaves and the cold have put up, or do you realize that reveling in suffering and death? Only you can decide that.

Enjoy Autumn, but hate “Autumn.” “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”