Reflected Glory

Gracious words are a honeycomb,
tweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16

Imagine yourself at a baseball game, but you can't see or hear the action on the field.  The only way you know what's going on in the game is by the reactions and conversations of the fans in the stands.

That's pretty much what I did last night.  The New York Yankees were playing the Detroit Tigers in a playoff game.  I wanted to be watching the game, because former Mizzou Tiger pitcher Max Scherzer plays for Detroit.

But the first two rounds of the MLB post-season are on TV only on TBS, a cable/satellite channel, which I don't have.  And this first round of games is not even on national radio.

So, I "watched" last night's game on Twitter.  By alternating between search terms of #NYY and #DET and #Scherzer, I followed the progress of the game for several innings by reading the comments and reactions of tweeters all over the world (some of them were in Spanish - interestingly most of those were fans of the Yanquis).

@JulieAnnDobbs: Tiger Max Scherzer he has 2 diff colored eyes which is kinda cool?” Just like David Bowie. 

@TylerKnepper: That strike three from Scherzer to Martin was one of the nastiest pitches I've seen. Absolutely vicious movement. 

@beckjason: Posada and Cabrera looked like they were battling for position on the low post before Scherzer struck out Russell Martin. #Tigers up 3-1 

@beckjason: Scherzer back out for bottom 7th. Gardner leading off. 

@JayScott1914: Good Grief Scherzer! He twisted Jeter in a knot on that fastball. 

@MzFuller8: When Scherzer throws, it's like his whole body whips it in there. It's a crazy when you watch him! 

@The1Tab: ARod clearly only drives automatic cars #CantHandleTheClutch 

@DJJordanV: Woooooo! Detroit wins! #MLB 

Obviously, it took a lot more than some sample tweets to keep up with the game.  But keep up I did.  On twitter there's always someone at the game, in front of a TV, listening to the radio that want sto tell the world what's going on and what they think about it.

And for the broadcast-blind like me, they're the only link to what's going on.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

  Romans 9

There are people around you and me every day who are blind to the excitement of what's really going on around them. It's up to us to tell them about it.

But often they aren't tuned in to spiritual things enough to want to pay attention or to even comprehend the truth if we try to tell it to them directly.

For many, the only way they're going hear the good news is by seeing the reflected glory in our lives. As we walk through our lives, showing in small ways and large ways that we are walking to the beat of a higher drummer, they notice. As our conversation is full of grace and seasoned with salt, their lives will be blessed by the overflow our God in our lives.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception,
nor do we distort the word of God. 

On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ who is the image of God.  

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts
to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  

For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

II Corinthians 4