Zero, my hero?

Dear Friend,

OK, one of my many addictions was School House Rock back in the day.  Loved almost every one of them.  Only a few that I didn’t.  One of which was Zero My Hero. Important Knowledge. But just flat. Not exciting.  Just numb, at the end of the day. 

Just spent some time wrestling with Samson, and I’ve got to say, I feel the same way.  Zero, or Hero?  An odd combination of both?

His parents chose his faith.  And for all but the last moments of his life, he never chose back. 

Samson was what we call in the world of sports "streaky". Occasional flashes of brilliance, followed by long periods of mediocrity.  Incredibly gifts that everyone in his orbit gifts could see. Resources never used. A ceiling never reached. In the end, little accomplished. All because his was a life lived with misdirected intention.

Unchecked pride that presented as religious effrontery.   

You know.  His story is…  our story.  Far too many commonalities.  Far too many touch points.  Far too many places where we can, if we look, see ourselves in the story, not for what we achieve, but for where we need to repent.

For most, I think, it is far too easy to want to look for the wins. Look at what he accomplished. And can't we celebrate the grace? In that final act he killed more Philistines than he had in his entire life."

Perhaps. But if Samson's mission was to subdue them, and he had the ability and the intelligence and the leadership and God was behind him? All he lacked was what? Oh. that's right. His agreement. And that's what makes this story so painful.

Chuck Swindoll once wrote, “We worship out work, we work at our play, and we play at our worship.”  If it was a Successories Poster, the quote would be overlay-ed on a mugshot of Samson.  Or maybe a mirror. 

thus spake,

me