The summer before my last year of college, one of my professors encouraged me to enroll in a couple of Spanish classes in summer school. No, it wasn't because I had flunked my fall and spring semester classes for those of you whose minds immediately went in that direction. The classes my professor wanted me to enroll in were in-depth, total language immersion classes, and I was over-the-top excited about the opportunity ... until ... until he informed me that the classes were in Guadalajara, Mexico. Definitely another story for another post as to how I eventually ended up on an airplane winging my way to sunny Mexico (yes, a real airplane up in the real sky ... I wasn't always so terrified of flying). I spent 10 weeks that summer along with three other American students living with a dear elderly Mexican couple, Guillermo and Carmen, and it was an incredible experience. While I had many grand adventures throughout my stay in Mexico, one day in particular left an indelible impression within my mind ... the day that a group of my fellow students and I toured several large cathedrals around the city. I had never seen such grandeur and beauty ... the cathedrals quite simply took my breath away.
A while back, my daughter-in-law sent me a link to a song she wanted me to listen to ... a great song about love and acceptance. As is so often true for me, once I listened to that song, I wanted to check out other songs performed by the same artist. The singer is a rapper, and though I generally am not a fan of rap music, I spent a good part of that evening listening to several of the artist's songs. While I'm still not a big fan of rap, I've been captivated by this singer's lyrics ... I'm not crazy about the music, but the words ... the words are strong and powerful, and they cause me to think about things in a way I never have before. One song in particular has been rolling around in my head for weeks ... a song about a man who is struggling against alcoholism, a man who is trying to find his way out of the bar and back to God. All of the words in the song are powerful, but there's one line that has gripped my heart since the first time I heard it. One line that has made me think about the way we do church ... one line that has made me think that church has so very little to do with the buildings and so very much to do with the people within them.
"I read the Bible but I forgot the verses; the liquor store is open later than the churches."
The line struck me the first time I heard it, and it continues to pierce my soul every single time I hear it. I've been thinking about writing this post for a long time, and I had a million thoughts run through my head as to what I wanted to say when I did. But here's the thing ... here's the one question I kept coming back to over and over again ... "the liquor store is open later than the churches" ... shouldn't it be the other way around, friends? Shouldn't it truly be the other way around? And the more I think about that question, the more thankful I am that God isn't bound by time or space or buildings or walls. The more I think about that question, the more the verses from Psalm 139 come crashing into my mind and settle in my heart. The liquor store may be open later than the churches, but my God never closes His doors or turns anyone away ... my God is always open for business.
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:7-10
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