A Story about Stones, Walls, and Bridges 3

   Continued from the blog post “A Story about Stones, Walls, and Bridges 2” (link here).

   You look out over the chasm that is before you. Part of you just wants to lie down and give up. After your failure with the last girl you wonder if telling others the truth is worth it at all. Then you remember how depressed you used to be; and you don’t want anyone to feel that way. So, you begin to build another bridge across the chasm.

   After hours of work, your bridge is finally complete. You sigh and hope this time goes better than the last time. You walk over and see a man dressed in a suit. He has charts, graphs, and money all around him. He is on his phone and seems to be in his own world. You go over and see he has a pile of rocks near him as well.

   A rock is thrown toward him. You quickly grab your shield and block the rock. The man just continues to talk on the phone. You expected him to at least look at you. You walk up to the man and he doesn’t even acknowledge you. While you are trying to get his attention another stone is thrown. You don’t see it coming and it hits the man. But, oddly enough, the stone just bounces off him. It doesn’t even make a bruise and the man continues to talk on the phone.

   You start to tell the man the truth but he doesn’t listen. So you decide maybe it would be easier for him to listen if he had fewer distractions. You begin to pick up his money. That gets the man’s attention. He hangs his phone up and stares at you angrily. You then start to tell him the truth. He bends down, picks up a rock, and throws it at you. You dodge it and he throws another one. You grab your shield and try to block it but for some reason the rock goes through the shield. He keeps throwing rocks at you until you run back to your bridge.

   Feeling defeated you begin to disassemble your bridge again. Your head is throbbing from getting hit by a rock; and you wonder why your shield failed you. As you are working on breaking your bridge you wonder if this is all worth it. Maybe you should just go back and build your wall again.

   So, this week’s edition of “A Story about Stones, Walls, and Bridges” is a metaphor for people who like living in sin. The man in the story idolizes power, fame, and money. He doesn’t care that he’s living in sin. And, he won’t listen to anyone else unless it will bring him something he idolizes. These people aren’t looking for help at all, they are content. Why would they change how they are living if they are being blessed? Why do these people seem to have blessings if they are living in sin?

   Well, it is like what is said in the movie God’s Not Dead. These people are in prison but the door isn’t closed; because, Satan doesn’t want them to turn to God. Satan gives them all the things they desire; until one day it is too late and the door slams shut.

   In the story the man throws a rock at you when you try to minister to him. Would you give up on this man? Well, we are called to minister to these people as well. Some people will not be easy to minister to; but there may be a reason, or a better way, to minister to those people. Tune in next time to find out that reason.

   The man in the story hates you. He may even be an enemy of yours. But, you are called to love this man. God loved us when we were sinners; and that is what we must do.

   Finally, in the story the shield fails you. Why does the shield fail you? Once again, I’m going to say tune in next time to find out. Yeah, I’m being that annoying movie or book that says to be continued.

So are you ministering to people even when it’s hard? Do you give up on people or tasks when they are too hard? Do you have any idols that you need to get rid of?

   This story will be continued in “A Story about Stones, Walls, and Bridges 4.”

   Colossians 3:5, Matthew 5:44, Ephesians 6:10