Get Your Head Out Of The Game

by John Fischer

It's a game. It's impossible to avoid because we are all wired to play it. It's the comparison game. It's based on the belief that there will always be those who are worse sinners than we are. (By whose ruling? Conveniently ours, of course.) It's righteousness by default. It's what keeps sinners in bars and the "righteous," somewhere else. It takes a lot of our attention to maintain the game. It's even played in church, where levels of "spirituality" keep us from being totally honest with one another. And it's an exhausting game that requires a good deal of manipulation of the facts to keep it going. Deep down inside, we long for God to blow the whistle on the whole game. Deep down inside, we want the truth, and when it finally hits home, it hits with incredible fierceness. It's the only way this will work. We are—every one of us—completely, utterly despicable sinners who are completely, utterly, and wonderfully saved. We gather around the same table, separated by society yet joined by God—Pharisee and sinner, weak and strong, beautiful and ugly, straight and gay, intelligent and ignorant alike, holding out our hands for the blessed forgiveness. There is no division here. No CASUAL SINNERS over here, or NICE PEOPLE SINNERS over there, or REALLY BAD SINNERS down there and to the left. We are all equally guilty, so we can all be equally and gloriously saved. The Catch, © 11/9/2009 by John Fischer