The other night, I was sitting in front of the ole window to the world (t.v.) watching a documentary concerning a famous screenwriter/author/director and his movie career. In the midst of that broadcast the narrator showed two video clips of real life events.
In both clips the scenes were virtually identical. Crowds of desperate people — clamoring, pleading, pushing, cramming together, hands stretching into the sky — were reaching out to the supplier at the front of the crowd who was dispensing what the crowd so feverishly wanted. The scene was as turbulent as sharks rushing to a bloody carcass in the high seas.
What amazed, shocked, and bewildered me was what the crowds were frantically wishing to obtain. Their desires were completely different, yet their agonizing efforts were identical!
Crowd one was in a major U.S. city; the people were shoving toward booths set for the obtaining of movie memorabilia! Crowd two was in Kosovo where war-torn, starving survivors were clamoring for BREAD! All I could think was: “What is wrong with this picture!” STARVING people and COVETING people were IDENTICAL in their desperation to have their DESIRES fulfilled! The hunger to crave a toy, a collectable, an earthly possession has become as desperate as when our forefathers once craved a twist of bread! Surely not, Lord, surely not.
As I pondered this absurdity, I began to visualize the day of the trial of Jesus. The ruler offers the mobbing crowds a choice to their desires. Choice one: BARABAS, a thief. Choice two: Jesus, the BREAD OF LIFE. With demand they starvingly say ‘give us the thief’. They want the appeasement of their carnal desire! I realized that their murderous heart screamed as loudly as the covetous hearts of the toy mongers and collectors. Bread? Who needs bread? We want toys! We want, want, we want, we want!!
We often times, wonder why it is that in the third world countries God is moving more mightily than He is in our more ‘civilized’ country. To the University crowd it is often viewed as a sign of ‘simple people wanting myths’. They are viewed as foolish! Yet, in contrast, these same ‘sophisticated’ people stand for DAYS to obtain a ticket to a new movie, or upcoming rock concert, or TO BUY THE HOTTEST TOY FOR THEIR CHILD! Is that not a sad indictment?
If we CRAVED God like we covet houses, cars, toys, trinkets, silver and gold, IF we yelled and screamed and demanded and waited in line for the supply of HIS hand like we do for everything else, would that not be better than what we do now? AND WOULD WE NOT FIND OUR HUNGER SATISFIED? Next time you say you don’t have time to pray, read, or worship, I say: “Try getting into a different crowd!”
Original Copyright: © Anthony J. Massotti Th.M. Th.M. 3/11/2001