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So I'm packing up my sculptures following our art show and I approach this weird Samson sculpture of mine and stop for a moment. I can't help but remember how as a boy I loved any story about him. He was always presented as some wild haired kind of guy, with super human strength. Carrying off the gates of a city, attacking the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, setting fields of grain on fire, having fun making riddles for people to solve...I thought of him as quite the fun guy, finally someone from the Bible that was actually interesting.
Then this "bad boy" also seemed to have something with the girls! Preachers, youth leaders and Sunday school teachers seemed very guarded about him and the ladies. You just knew there was more to the story than was actually being told. This guy's life seemed exciting and romantic. He did not sound like a good Biblical person at all! How did he even get into the Biblical record? And why would such a questionable character get so much ink in the very "word of God"? This alone seemed so strange and certainly piqued my curiosity as a boy.
Now, as an adult standing here reminiscing, I remember that this questionable bad boy's name is actually on the most elite list of faith heroes in scripture! That's right, he's listed in Hebrews 11 hero's chapter right alongside of righteous women and men like Noah, Moses, Abraham, Samuel and the like!
You know what that means, it means that despite his bad boy reputation of rebellion, womanizing and wrong choices, he's already in eternity, I mean he's gone through the pearly gates and is enjoying his eternal reward! I know, what a shock, but it's true for otherwise he would not be on that hero's list!
I'm sure that's the reason he actually got all that copy in scripture. It's that his life is a lesson that there is always hope. That God is patient with us, loves even the Samson bad boy/girl types and keeps working with us no matter how much we fail or struggle. Is it not great to be assured that there is always "hope!"
Then this "bad boy" also seemed to have something with the girls! Preachers, youth leaders and Sunday school teachers seemed very guarded about him and the ladies. You just knew there was more to the story than was actually being told. This guy's life seemed exciting and romantic. He did not sound like a good Biblical person at all! How did he even get into the Biblical record? And why would such a questionable character get so much ink in the very "word of God"? This alone seemed so strange and certainly piqued my curiosity as a boy.
Now, as an adult standing here reminiscing, I remember that this questionable bad boy's name is actually on the most elite list of faith heroes in scripture! That's right, he's listed in Hebrews 11 hero's chapter right alongside of righteous women and men like Noah, Moses, Abraham, Samuel and the like!
You know what that means, it means that despite his bad boy reputation of rebellion, womanizing and wrong choices, he's already in eternity, I mean he's gone through the pearly gates and is enjoying his eternal reward! I know, what a shock, but it's true for otherwise he would not be on that hero's list!
I'm sure that's the reason he actually got all that copy in scripture. It's that his life is a lesson that there is always hope. That God is patient with us, loves even the Samson bad boy/girl types and keeps working with us no matter how much we fail or struggle. Is it not great to be assured that there is always "hope!"
"How wonderful that we have met with a paradox.
Now we have some hope of making progress."
Niels Bohr
Now we have some hope of making progress."
Niels Bohr
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