Starting Over

[Dan Haas]

Sometimes we need to molt, like a lobster, because our old "skin" can no longer contain our new selves.A friend once shared a theory about that great record of when Jesus had a little talk with Nicodemus. When Jesus tells him, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," old Nic goes into the "can a man enter in again into his mother's womb....?" thingy.... you know the story. John 3Was Nicodemus as dumb as we thought? Perhaps he was a wise rabbi, only not wise enough. He was speaking to the rabbi, Jesus, and it just may be that his reply to Jesus was with understanding of what Jesus was requiring of him -- to go back to "scratch." His reply, then, cleverly, really, rabbi-to-rabbi, would be, "how can I?" How can I become like a little child again, knowing what I know? Read it again if you like. It's a marvelous theory.The Christian life, I assert, is dynamic, not static. The Christian in connected with, in union with -- God -- with the Fountain, the Source, with Life. Old wineskins cannot contain this Life. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation -- old things are passed away. Behold! All things are new, and all these new things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Ro 6:4 AV)“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.” (Ro 7:6 AV)The self-help books speak of "reinventing yourself," but the Christian is the handiwork, some might say a masterpiece of -- God. He can take us where we'd never think to go -- exceeding abundantly above whatever we might ask or think. If we would see the Kingdom of God, we must be born again.“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” (Lu 18:17 AV)You might find out you only THOUGHT you were a lobster. You might find out that you can fly.“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Col 3:10 AV)