The Message

Once again a great author has made me see my life in a different light.  I read Marcus Zusak’s I am the Messenger on a recent plane ride and had to resist the urge to grab the passenger next to me and yell, “Wow! You have to read this so we can talk about it!”

I  don’t want to give away the whole plot, because I truly hope you read the book, but in order to tell you my revelation, I have to disclose some of it. Ed, an ordinary guy, is plunged into the extraordinary when he receives addresses in the mail from an unknown person. At each new address he discovers some message he must deliver to the inhabitants. At the end of the book he comes to the realization that he wasn’t the messenger at all, but the message.

Even though Zusak’s book had little mention of the Christian faith, the thought struck me that each of us needs to live our lives, not as if we are messengers of God’s love, but as if we are the message. My life as a Christian should not be one of telling others about my faith, but interacting with people, even strangers, in such a way that my life is the good news of Christ’s love for us. Like the character in Zusak’s novel I don’t have to perform miracles. Just the simple act of buying an ice cream cone can help someone.  Every day I should be finding ways to impact the lives of those around me for good.

I suppose I am a message in progress. Some days my signal goes straight through, other times my mood and/or selfishness blocks it out.  But that’s the great thing about God’s grace. If I fail, He always gives me an opportunity to try sending the message again.