Christian Living
Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday February 8, 2011
Long ago and far away I heard Dr. Tom Wallace point out that the difference in the winning time of the horse that came in first and the one that can in last in the Kentucky Derby one year was a little over 1 second. The difference in the numbers one and two was the mere blink of an eye, so close only the camera caught the spread. I suppose we could call that "blink of an eye" the dramatic difference.
Dramatic differences are often measured in nanoseconds, yet they can be life, even world changing. Such an infinitesimal gap can be eternal in its impact. This truth flashed across my mind as I read the following concerning a group of journalists and Saul Bellow chatting. As the conversation warmed up one on the journalists asked Mr. Bellow this question:
"Mr. Bellow, you are a writer, and we are writers; what's the difference between us?"
Saul Bellow replied:
"As journalists you are concerned with the news of the day. As a novelist, I am concerned with news of eternity."
Over the years I have been billed as "Noted Speaker" "Gifted Writer" (Mom) "Enthusiastic Motivator" and once as "Fireball Preacher Larry Lilly." I have been dubbed other things, but this is a Christian letter. I observe that many of my friends and even more of my enemies have no idea what they really are. To the casual observer there is no noticeable difference in any of the above, yet Saul Bellow, who makes no pretense at ministerial calling, knows there is a dramatic, an eternal difference. I recall being scheduled to follow a famous preacher one evening, not because I was the "hammer" speaker, but because he had to catch an early flight, and he spent 47 minutes of his allotted time reading news clips. Not much eternity there.
Sometimes I miss the mark, but with each of the dailies, the bulk of my sermons etc are designed to somehow impact the reader/hearer with a principle of eternity thereby impacting each person's circle of influence ad infinitum.
The sayings of Jesus and other biblical writers often speak directly to a current problem, but the message will have ramifications for eternity. For instance forgiving and being forgiven will reverberate here and in heaven. Our attitude concerning money will do the same as will just about everything you can think of, so it makes sense to grasp and act on the fact that as Christians we are to speak, write and most importantly live with eternity in view. Jesus taught that sins against each other are in fact sin against heaven.
Luke 15:21: And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Our understanding of the impact of sin must not be limited to the damage here below, but also of the eternal nature and impact of our actions, for or against eternity.
Larry Lilly Copyright © 2011 Use with credit.
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