(7 of 11 in a series)
The depravity of man has become in our day a compelling argument for the truth of the Christian message. Modern man, when he is thinking, knows he is sick. Recognizing our desperate condition is not the problem. A large portion of the pop music of my generation was summarized in Steely Dan’s, “Any world that I am welcome to is better than the one I come from.” In literature, music, and art, nihilism is a common theme; we know something is amiss. Unfortunately, our “sickness” has clouded our vision and blinded our eyes to the true solution.
It is my contention that when we embrace the “good news” message of Jesus Christ, the blinders come off and a whole new world opens up to us. We finally see that the Christian message “fits” the world we observe and inhabit.
In the story of Cinderella, the mysterious young woman and new love of the prince loses her glass slipper running from the ball. The prince, desperate to find the girl, goes on a country wide search for the foot that fits the slipper. In the story’s climax, the lowly Cinderella is discovered to be the true owner of the slipper and the cry goes out across the land, “The shoe fits!” The mystery woman has been discovered.
Though the illustration is a simple one, may I submit that when we compare the world we observe and experience and move and live in with the message of Christianity, the shoe fits. The Christian explanation of who we are is the one that fits the facts of our own experience. Not only is it intellectually satisfying to find the “fit” to our observations, it more importantly sets us on the path to be healed of our “sickness” by uncovering the truth that sets us free. A truth we will explore next time.