“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”
– MATTHEW 25:34-36

I have a new favorite commercial. It’s a Hershey’s commercial. I’m sure you’ve seen it. If you haven’t yet seen it, watch it before you read on. If you have a working memory of 80’s top 40 hits, you can’t help but notice a great version of the Steve Winwood classic, “Higher Love” that paints the emotional backdrop for the story (It’s worth noting that this version of the song is performed by Steve and his daughter Lilly). A work-at-home father is called to a web meeting while his bored daughter tries to get his attention. Determined and indomitably clever, the daughter employs the help of a local printer to create a cardboard cutout of her father. We see her carrying her “dad” through the town: on a bus, past neighbors, and through a street hockey game. Ultimately, we find that the cutout was intended to take his “place” at his web meeting. The caper works. The two of them will spend the afternoon eating s’mores while the ever-important meeting carries on with all its attendees none-the-wiser.

There are a ton of layers to the commercial. I’m certain Hershey loves the fact that I’m so moved by its marketing and advertising machine. Yes, there’s a certain amount of cheezy-ness with which I have become increasingly more comfortable as I get older. But, among the most critical layers to this commercial and it’s unsubtle message — the triumph of fathers and daughters over career, is something else, too.

I wonder how many of the other people in this online meeting had parallel stories. I mean, what if there was only one person talking while everyone else, just like the depicted father, propped up a cardboard version of their likeness and  “got on with their lives?” All of us wonder, at some point about the sacredness of the moments that come and go through our lives. We speculate, at times, if we’re merely watching the world go by through oversized windows like passengers on a great bus. We know how to sit dutifully and responsibly. We understand our role. We take those things “we have to do” as seriously and unarguably as gravity itself. But, what if, at times, we stepped out of the world of sensible and responsible obligation and into a world governed by selfless joy and spontaneous generosity? What if we saw ourselves as participants in a project for a world in need of people like us? Consider that God may have placed us uniquely in his world to accomplish something with him and for him that we could not do as a passive observer.

This week, we’ll talk energetically and enthusiastically about the things Jesus is calling our church to do and the kind of church he wants us to be. We’ll walk headlong into some of the most challenging and beautiful things Jesus ever said (It’s the stuff people outside the church hope we’re passionate about. So bring your friends who aren’t sure about church). We’ll celebrate what God has done in our community among the poor, the forgotten, and the marginalized. We’ll wrestle with the notion that our world cannot be changed by those unwilling to break from what that world tells them to do. Take an example from a girl with a grocery bag full of marshmallows, graham crackers, and some chocolate, holding a cardboard cutout of her father.

See you soon,

Jeff