The Audacity of Flash Mobs

How many times in life do I *know* but don't do? More than I'd care to admit. I've been in a weird tough painful growing? time in my life, and this is one I would do without if I was the author of my story (or the conductor of my song)... but every single one of us goes through things we don't want to. Life gives us what we don't want or doesn't give us what we do want, or things seem to be going well, and then WHAM, our hears are broken and we feel like all our insides are on our outsides and everything hurts and nothing is as it seems it should be and there's nothing that can be done but to

just
keep
walking -

to
keep putting one foot in front of the other, standing on what we know is true, and refusing to give up.


I've been watching Christmas flash mobs on youtube. I must be a complete sap, because they make me cry every time I view one. My favorites are the ones where people are at the mall, perhaps in a food court, and one person has the audacity to stand up and begin to sing. Loudly. People walk by, stare, or look at said individual as if he/she is CRAZY. Some watch in joy and wonder; some are completely confused. Others walk by, barely taking notice, yet those do who stop to take it all in and allow themselves to soak in that moment - the beauty of voices lifted together - experience the oneness of voice and soul. By the end, most people smile with new found joy and clap with gratitude for that little piece of *something* they were unexpectedly inundated with.

And then I think of Jesus, fully divine in all His glory, emptying Himself of those divine attributes and having the audacity to be born here, into His own creation, wrecked by sin and evil and death, coming completely helpless and dependent upon His earthly family to care for Him. He had the audacity to come, wrapped in fragile, mortal flesh and live a perfect, sinless life and become the sacrifice for my sin. I wonder, is God pleased when people gather in a mall, sing praises to His name, and proclaim the truth of His son's birth? Does their boldness delight Him? He sent Jesus to this dark world as a light to love and give His life as a ransom for us. It pleased Him. He delighted in it. This leads me to believe He delights in these flash mobs the way He delights in giving good gifts to us. He delights in mercy, love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, strength under control, boldness to proclaim His truth, and also the audacity to

love

in this dark world. Sacrificially. Costly. All in, no holds barred, love. It blows my mind that He came down to this dirty, messed up, evil world and inundated it with life, love, forgiveness, and truth, knowing full well He would be met with rejection, gossip, hate, betrayal, selfish people, religious persecution and ultimately a torturous death. He came to pay the price for our debt - knowing full well some would reject that, too. How many people ignore Him, walk by and busy themselves with all kinds of nothing just to keep from stopping and taking a moment to let it all in - the audacity of Christ's love - the divine meeting humanity in the humblest of ways - born to poor, scandalous parents in a borrowed barn? I pray those who know Him will live our lives as beautifully and boldly as the people in those flash mobs. I pray people will see the divine come to them and let the moment wash over their hearts and let Jesus in. I will never understand all it cost Him. But I know I'm not alone, even when it feels like it. He is the conductor of the orchestra of our lives. So I will listen and follow Him and

just
keep
walking.

I love the end of this one: