Terrorism At Lake Elizabeth

I have this nasty habit of walking clockwise around Lake Elizabeth. Almost everyone else walks counter-clockwise and it puts me in the most frightening position of having to actually look at people as they go past me. The scary part of this is that many stoically refuse to notice me. Perhaps it is my low levels of self-esteem that drive this sick compulsion I have to say hi to people as they walk by. I have actually had to look straight at people and with my loud preacher voice nearly yell out, "good morning" before they would notice me. Some smile and greet me warmly while others cut their eyes at me in a slicing flash of acknowledgement and in cracking tones, do their best to beat out of themselves a good morning to their own chagrin. When I was in Moscow, I tried to do the same thing, smiling broadly at the elderly "Babushkas" and firing out a hearty "kagdula" to them as we met on the street. Most just looked away in disgust but every once in a while I would receive a cheery smile...perhaps out of pity for my poor Russian. The other day I passed along to one of my fellow walkers an invitation to our church. Now he won't even look at me when I give him my "good morning".

What makes us so difficult to reach even with friendly intentions? Why is there so much sourness in our world? I wonder if Jesus was ever shocked by how mean spirited so many were who gawked at Him as He preached the Kingdom of God. Jesus was the Jerusalem terrorist who brought horror to those who just wanted to keep to themselves. The shocking part of Jesus was that He forced God upon the world. For the first time ever, an entire nation had to look at God and gaze upon His smile. How horrible it must have felt for so many to actually have to watch Christ heal the blind, raise the dead and make the lame walk! Some people...all too many, do their best to avoid the freindly gaze of Jesus because I guess they just don't want to smile.

There certainly is too much grumpiness out there, too much cynicism and too much bitter angst over what is going wrong. But there is one thing right we must never miss. The smile of Jesus can warm the coldest heart and even tired babushkas walking around Lake Elizabeth need a hint of it.