Wednesday, May 4, 2016

            Being the good, little Canadian that I am, I went on-line and completed and then submitted our census form yesterday. I was expecting something long and complicated but it was short and simple.  Click “submit” and off it went somewhere.  Trusting soul that I am, I even gave them permission to use our personal data in the year 2081. Let my great grandchildren deal with any embarrassment that our meager statistics might reveal. Although, if anything, all it will expose is how absolutely dull and ordinary we were.

            Even though Canadians must complete the census form by law, at least it didn’t come with the dire warning in an Exodus text: “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them,” (Exodus 30:12). They had to pay a shekel; 34 cents in today’s money market; maybe more back then.

            Now God was constantly ordering that Moses take a census of the people while they were on their way to the Promised Land. Maybe God didn’t want to lose anyone on the way. It’s like taking a Grade Two class on a field trip to the museum. The teacher has to count heads to make sure little Timmy doesn’t get left behind.  Timmy, get out of the dinosaur’s mouth. Counting heads is what a tour guide does when he or she is leading tour group. O.K., where’s Ethel? Ethel, we don’t have time for you to climb that pyramid.

            Jesus told a wonderful story about a shepherd who lost one of his sheep, (Luke 15: 1 – 7). He had a 100 sheep which he was guarding. He was making sure all were accounted for.  Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine… O.K. where’s Woolly-Sue?  Dang; not again!

            Incredibly, the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and heads off into the nasty wilderness to find and rescue that one silly sheep. “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.” In fact, he is so happy that he throws a party and invites his neighbors. Wow, that man really loves his sheep!

            Jesus’ point is that God goes to any and great lengths to rescue you or me out of any wilderness in which we may get lost. God is overjoyed when even just one who has lost his or her way in life and is furthest away from God finds his or her way back into God’s loving care and grace: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

            So, just don’t stand there; bleat a little so he’ll know where you are!