"Dad It's A Cross"

Cloudless blue skies are beautiful and remind me of special moments.  In the area where I call home is a fly zone.  On those beautiful clear sky days, my brothers and I would watch all sorts of airplanes overhead.  Some would be small planes, especially crop dusters, flying close to the ground.  Others would be military C130’s flying in groups of three roaring overhead with ground shaking rumble.  Fighter jets would buzz by low enroute to blow up Lay Dam.  A local pilot told us it was part of the military practice to buss the river and dam, so they never really blew up the dam.

Sometimes the airplanes would be so high that all you could see was contrails.  It was fun trying to find the plane.  Suddenly, the plane would glisten in the sunlight and we could see the tiny speck running ahead of the contrail.  We often wondered where the people were going and if they could see us.  Having flown, I realized they could not.  I remember the eerie feeling of no planes in the sky after 911.

Years ago Andy, my oldest son, and I were riding the church bus one Sunday morning.  Andy was no more than six or seven years old.  I rode the church bus, a converted school bus, as a helper to pick up kids who normally did not attend church. 

If you remember, there was a fad, craze, or period when Baptist churches converted school buses into ministries for church visitation and evangelism.  I remember it was exciting when the church started the process of buying a bus.  Baptist business meetings can be hilarious. 

We had Saturday morning visitation encouraging people to attend church with us.  We had a busload of kids from time to time.  We even had people who needed a ride to church ride with us.  Sometimes there were several helpers and their children.

The most amazing thing was we had several children who had never attended church, did not have Bibles, and had never heard of Jesus.  Some children we helped dress for church.  I remember rounding up kids in the yard, washing their faces, hands, and feet, helping change from play clothes to church clothes, and believe it or not, getting a few out of bed.

Contrary to what most churched people think, unchurched people do not understand the language and customs of church, what ministers call the Language of Zion.  It is okay that they did not know and it is our responsibility to help them know Jesus.  If a person finds Jesus, he or she will learn the language and customs of Zion as we help them become disciples.

This particular spring morning the sky was a cloudless, beautiful blue with the exception of two airplanes in the sky.  One of the little girls, about Andy’s age, said, “Look a big X in the sky.”  Two jets crossing overheard left two huge contrails.

Without missing a beat Andy said, “Dad, that’s a Cross just like the one Jesus died on. It is not an X.”  It is amazing how kids, grownups too, see things differently.  It made my job as bus helper, kid dresser, and worship preparer worth the effort.

I remember telling Andy that the reason we were picking up the other children was that they might learn about the Cross, the Crucifixion, and Christ.

As we go, more people will see as Andy did that morning that boys and girls, moms and dads, and grandparents across Alabama do not know Jesus or understand the Cross.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18 KJV).

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20 KJV).