PASTOR DAVID WILLIAMSON'S FEBRUARY MESSAGE
I had to do it. I had to buy a new laptop computer last month. The one I purchased shortly before my arrival here is over four years old (and in the computer world, where updates and improvements come out almost every month, four years is old). And if I leave it on for more than two hours, the screen suddenly goes blank and I lose whatever I’m working on. It was time for a replacement.
My new laptop is smaller, it’s much lighter, it’s a heck of a lot faster, the screen is a lot clearer (and even with new glasses, that’s a good thing), the battery runs almost eight hours between charges (the old one lasted less than two), and the cover is brushed metal (so it isn’t covered in fingerprints, as the old one tended to be).
But my new computer isn’t perfect. The reviews online said this model has a tendency to skip letters when typing. The one in the store didn’t seem to have the problem. But this one sure does. And for a relatively fast typist like me, that means I have to check the text frequently for spelling errors. So if you find a typo here, whose fault is it? The computer manufacturer’s? No. The flaw in the computer is annoying, but the responsibility for what I write is mine and mine alone.
The Bible tells us that you and I, and all of our ancestors, and all of our descendants (Romans 3:23), have a genetic flaw that we inherited from the very first man and woman. We’re sinners. Like Adam and Eve, we think of ourselves as the equals of God (Genesis 3:5), and substitute our judgment for His. It’s become common, in our postmodern society, to blame others for our sinfulness, and to rationalize it like children (“everybody does it”). But while our sinful nature is annoying, the devil doesn’t make you do anything! The responsibility is yours and yours alone.
And that’s what Lent is all about. It’s a time to remember that we all need a savior. And thanks be to God, we have one! Jesus forgives us (Luke 23:34) – as we, in turn, forgive one another (Luke 6:37) – and reconciles us with our Father in heaven.
The situation with my computer keyboard may be hopeless (although I’m sure I’ll adapt to it). But you and I and our family members and our neighbors are never hopeless, thanks to Jesus. So bring the people you love to St. Paul’s and, together, let’s embrace new life in Christ.
