Stranger Than Fiction

“Truth is stranger than fiction,” we often say. And that is how Jesus’ offer of new life must have sounded to the Pharisees and others: stranger than fiction. To understand it, they would have to change their whole way of thinking.

When a certain pastor tried to explain to a prospective convert that in order to commit herself to the Christian life she would have to change her way of thinking, she said, “I know exactly what you mean. And she proceeded to tell him the following story:

Her husband had gone away on a week’s business trip, leaving her alone with their three small children. It rained steadily for the first three days and when the sun finally came out, mother happily announced, “Kids, we’re going on an outing! We’re going to the animal farm! You can pet the animals and ride the elephant!” Then she piled the children into her little, red Volkswagen Bug and drove up the freeway to the…