Rich Young Man

I like stories.
Mark's story in the Jesus Chronicles has an interesting little account called the Rich Young Man.
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The Rich Young Man

 ¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" ¹⁸"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'^[d]"
 ²⁰"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
 ²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
 ²²At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
 ²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
 ²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is^[e] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
 ²⁶The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
 ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
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I can imagine this guy, he had everything. But he's looking ahead and not sure what's going to happen, so he runs to ask the Rabbi.

"What do I need to do to live forever?"

Jesus gives him the six commandments that have to do with dealing with humans.

"I've kept them."

It says Jesus looked at him and loved him. and I really like that it says that about Jesus. It's like Jesus could see that he was sincere...he really was searching. Jesus seems to love Real People.

One more thing then, Jesus says, Go get rid of what ties you down; give it to those who need it. Come, and be my disciple.

This is asking too much of the guy. He went away sad.

That part makes me so mad! The guy had the chance to follow Jesus! to become part of that great adventure! Following Jesus is entering into eternal life! 

and the guy walks away.

He's probably thinking, "I don't want to live with nothing. I don't like being really uncomfortable."

-It would have been uncomfortable.-

- Sometimes the disciples didn't know where their next meal was coming from, or where they would sleep.

- It would have lead to watching his Master on a Cross, and being persecuted...

- and likely his own death far down the track.

But there would have been the amazement of being one of Jesus's disciples...of the Resurrection....of finding the Eternal Life he'd been looking for.

I'm thinking maybe I walk away from incredible opportunities like this sometimes...because I value my comfort. Maybe I'm missing out, too.

But I can change. After all, as Jesus goes on to say: 

Nothing is Impossible With God

The Slapping Rainbow Phenomenon

Ever heard of the Slapping Rainbow Phenomenon (S.R.P.)?
Probably not, I just made it up.

It's the strange way that the beautiful invades the darkness.

It has been a hard week. Just a heaviness is around me. It becomes hard to do things.
This blog is hard to write.

Last year, for several months that stupid Black Dog, Depression, thought it would snap and snarl at me.
I had been feeling better.

Now it feels like someone has set that dog free again.

Last year, I went to the doctor.

She asked me a few questions,
said i was 'exhibiting signs of depression'
and prescribed 'sleep, and chocolate'.

Yes I know all of you want her number. She was great.

The feelings seemed to get worse after that.
After I'd been to the doctor, I went wandering
out the back of Canowindra, in the deserted green paddocks.

It started lightly raining, and I started doing my whole, God I am so confused, bla bla. The stuff you blurt to God about when you know your completely alone.

And then I turned around, and nearly got slapped in the face with the gigantic rainbow that landed not far from where I stood.
It was amazing, and breath-taking. The whole thing was visible. It was glorious.
I just stood there and gaped.

Rainbows don't slap you everyday.

At the time, I knew why that rainbow was there - God telling me He loved me, and that He was in it with me.

'It' being life, and everything that comes up. Everything a human is supposed to do, and know, and be.
Every bewildering thing.

I was going to write about how terrible I was feeling.

But then, I looked out the window, and the sky was streaked with pink.

Yep, I like them slapping rainbows...