Where are you Diving?

Over the past few months, we have learned about deep sea diving. The cameras have shown us what it looks like at the bottom of the Gulf. We continue to hear about what is down there in the deep. I have a strange question for you: Where are you diving?

One description of the church has stayed with me over the years. I do not remember who said it. It is not an original image so I give credit to someone else. This is the statement: The faith equips churches to do deep sea diving but most are content to do all their diving in the bathtub.

Another way one has said this is to say that the Holy Spirit of God equips us to fly like eagles but we much prefer running with the chickens. Chickens fly but not far and not very high.

Where are you diving? It is a way of asking the question of how much of the risky business of the faith are you doing?

Jesus of Nazareth was a risk taker. He did not settle for less nor did he avoid persons who might disagree with him. On the contrary, where do you find Jesus? You find him in the temple. You find him among the sinners and the oppressed. You find him "out of the box" in terms of reaching people. No mountain was too high. No sinner was off limits.

A poll of persons near the end of their life asked this question, "If you could go back and do life over again, what would you do differently?" The number one answer was "I would take more risks". In looking back in their life, the greatest rewards were found when they dared to take the greatest risk. Life was not at its best but it produced much over the long haul.

Maybe God is inviting you to dive a little deeper. Maybe Jesus' words to fish in the deep waters are for you. Maybe it is time to dive where you are capable and fly higher than you ever dreamed.

Now if I can only get out of the bathtub without tripping.......