When we stand in the light, all darkness disappears. That is the wonder and beauty of light.
This past weekend I saw something with my own eyes that I would not have believed it had not happened right in front of me! My family and I were going to the mall here in Columbus and getting some amazingly, delicious Auntie Anne’s pretzels. (They are my favorite! But, I digress.) We had gotten our snack and were headed over to the playground to lets the girls run around and burn some energy.
So we arrive at the stop sign and I see this small sedan pass right in front of us and come to an abrupt and complete stop. I was wondering what was going on, and that is when I saw it. A black cat ran out from the grass and darted across the road, right in front of the car. From were I was I could see the driver and she had this look of panic on her face. What stunned me was what happened next.
The driver put the car in reverse and backed up very quickly, made a right turn and passed us. I looked over at my wife and said, “Did I just see that happen?!” It was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. As I have thought about it over the last several days, I have come to realize that superstition can be a powerful reality in the lives of people. But, what does the Gospel offer to us as believers when we face something like this?
First, the initial thought that I had was, “How sad.” This woman almost caused an accident because she was motivated by fear. A fear based on a lie. That cat crossing in front of her car was not a bad omen. It was just a cat crossing the road. The apostle Paul gives Timothy a challenge as it relates to these kinds of occurrences.
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. — 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Second, the Gospel is truth and it takes away any reason for entertaining “irreverent, silly myths.” When we stand in the light, all darkness disappears. That is the wonder and beauty of light. The reality of God’s love and of Jesus’ example and sacrifice means we no longer have to fear crossing cats, walking under ladders, spilling salt, breaking a mirror, opening an umbrella indoors or any other superstition this world has.
The Gospel represents freedom. The kind of freedom the driver of the car did not have.
