Daily Word of Grace # 44 (May 15, 2020)
Of the many spaceships in the epic Star Wars movies my favorite has always been the Millennium Falcon, the ancient ship flown by Han Solo with his friend Chewbacca in the earlier films and by Rey and Finn in the later films. The Millennium Falcon not only has an awesome name, it just keeps going. On the surface it always seems that it is falling apart, that it has seen its best days, that it is obsolete. And yet again and again the old Millennium Falcon comes through, especially in peril and crisis. The coolest aspect of the Millennium Falcon is its ability to “jump into hyperspace.” I have no idea how this works but it means those traveling in it can cover vast differences in just moments (and it looks so awesome on the big screen). The Millennium Falcon reminds me of the gospel, which through the centuries has often been dismissed as something that is falling apart, or has seen its best days, or is obsolete. And yet the gospel just keeps going all around the world. In spite of all the wars and natural disasters and pandemics, in spite of the ebb and flow of secularism and atheism, the hope of the gospel of God’s unconditional love in Jesus Christ just keeps going. Perhaps this is because in one way or another many of us have personally experienced the reality of the gospel in some “jump into hyperspace” way—we have no idea how it works, but it is awesome and it is true. Scripture assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39), a love that always comes through in peril and crisis. Like the Millennium Falcon, the gospel just keeps going, and always will.
Love and Prayers,
Dave