Easter 34 Spark

"It only takes a spark . . . "

If you are of a certain age and grew up in the church, I probably just gave you an earworm for the day. For the rest of you, it's a youth group golden oldie, laced with just enough treacle to make you wish it weren't so memorable.

This week of my discipline of celebration has found me thinking about light images and in free-associating words, "spark" came to mind and immediately this song ("Pass It On," by the way, is it's title) started playing. Such is the power of the music of our youth.

Whatever one thinks of the merits of this song, I am fascinated by how Christianity caught on and grew and still catches people's attention, converting them to some version of discipleship. Something caught fire.

Then I think about how, about 15 years ago, I made my feeble attempt to leave the church. I was a complete failure as an apostate. I'd find myself in a theological argument and step back and say, well, I guess I still believe that. I didn't even really miss more than a few Sundays at a church. As I made my way back towards a more solid commitment to the church, I recall lamenting, "my baptism just really took hold!"

So, over a few decades of church-going and study, the fire can vary in intensity, but the spark remains. It's a life full of things seen, heard, experienced that can't be unseen, unheard, unexperienced.

Yeah, I'm afraid I have to end this post this way:

" . . . That's how it is with God's love. Once you've experienced it . . . "