Jack & Diane: A Parable of Grace and New Life
Once upon a time Jack and Diane went down separate paths. One walked a narrow path and one took a wide path. As life would have it they found folks to love, children to raise and shared life. Through the storms of life and the wounds and brokenness, their marriages were well on to death before they ended. Broken dreams and vows that as a matter of life blew away in the wind of time like the dust in a hot prairie wind.
Both Jack and Diane are now alone and very hurting. Very broken and very alone. The community in which they shared were shocked and scandalized that two such pillar families would crumble under the weight of unmet expectations, secret abuse and betrayal. What a shame! What a shame! Did you hear… did you know… He did what? She said what? Wagging finger in the name of love. Shame! Shame in Jesus name!
Now here sits Jack and there sits Diane, on the dung heap, the refuse pile of community and social order. Pushed outside the community, life in tatters sitting there together on the dung heap of rejection, buried under accusations, gossip and religious piety. Lo’ and behold in this unpleasant spot the two lost ones, those two discarded souls find each other. There wounds match, their mislaid dreams too and in the middle of such a place a strange life seemingly is coming forth. If things weren’t bad enough, these two scandalous lives, are to meet, share life and love is to bloom. In the midst of the dung heap, the butt of the scorn, a brilliant red rose beautifully adorns!
The don’t go too fast, as only fools rush in; the thought of this thing is a scandalous sin. They spend time healing, a journey together, the re-building of shattered lives. Piece by ‘peace’ they are put back together and in the midst of a forsaken place. This refuse place, this dump, a garden of love. Then comes the day when their lives they will join. To weather the storm – oh no not again. What shame! What shame! Did you hear… did you know… He did what? She said what? Wagging finger in the name of love. Shame! Shame in Jesus name!
Now Jack and Diane are united in love. Walking together with the Father above. Two lives discarded and given to Him. Funny things happen on the dung heaps of life – God seems to like it there and the most peculiar places of life. The two He made one. He exchanged beauty for ashes and made old broken things just like new.
Now I have a question. Where is life to be found; in the religion of community or some “unholy ground”. For at first glance it would seem that Jack
and Diane were the “losers” but this upside down Kingdom says something quite different. That Jack and Diane tripped into Life and the town they offended!
Seems the proper folks missed life. Seems they tried to force their way with rituals, self right-ness, rules and religious whitewash and all the while blocking the way for so many others. But God had another idea. Jesus was crucified outside the camp. Outside the walls of the community. He was tortured and disgraced. It was in this unclean / unholy place that God chose to bring forth abundant life. It was in this place that the law was fulfilled and we are set free. You see in the cross, mercy satisfies justice. Grace brings life eternal.
Father, you are so much bigger than me. What I deem lost, discarded and fruitless you breath upon and bring Life. You have no respect for my religion, my rules, my rituals and you continually colour outside the lines. It seems it is better to be “good” than right and the hidden is always more valued than the outward. Thank you! Cause in this apparent maze of religion and cheese of selfish ambition, there is hope and Life and as we say “yes” in our hearts, we ‘somehow’ seem to trip into it.
