HE COMES UP CLOSE

This was the view I saw yesterday as I drove by Center City Philadelphia. It reminded me of comments I made in a recent post, based on an illustration in Chuck Swindoll's "Hear Me When I Call."

In his book Swindoll describes a snow capped mountain range, beautiful from a distance, but when you get close, you see a different scene entirely. Behind the beauty are screaming winds, bitter cold, blinding snow, huge boulders, icy roads, fear, and indescribable dangers. 

(I thought about some of the areas of downtown Philadelphia. The skyline from a distance is beautiful, but when you get close, you see a different scene entirely. Behind the beauty are homeless people, bitter violence, fear, and indescribable dangers.)  

Swindoll continues, "In the same way we are all beautiful people from a distance. Well dressed, nice smile, friendly looking, cultured, under control, at peace. But what a different picture when someone comes close and gets in touch. What appeared placid is really a mixture of winding roads of insecurity and uncertainty, maddening gust of lust, greed, self-indulgence, and pathways of pride often glazed over with a slick layer of hypocrisy, all shrouded in a cloud of fear of being found out. 

From a distance we dazzle but up close we're tarnished. Put enough of us together and meet we may resemble an impressive mountain range to the onlooker. But when you get down into the shadowy crevices - the Alps we ain't. 

I'm convinced that's why our Lord means so much to us. He scrutinizes our path. He is intimately acquainted with all our ways. Darkness and light are alike to him. Not one of us is hidden from his sight. All things are open and laid bare before him, our darkest secret, our deepest shame, or stormy past, our worse thought, our hidden motives, are vilest imagination. Even are vain attempts to cover the ugly with snow white beauty. He comes up close. He sees it all. He knows our frame. He remembers we are dust." 

"Amazingly, he still loves us."

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Through his books over the years, I've gotten to know Chuck Swindoll, the author, pretty well. (this is just one shelf dedicated to him in my office).

To view a recent interview Chuck had with Joni Erickson Tada click HERE.