Of Mountains and Molehills

Do you remember in 2004 when Mel Gibson released his movie The Passion of the Christ?  I remember it well for several reasons.  The graphic depiction of the crucifixion was visually profound and many of those images are still vivid in my memory.  I also remember it because of the publicity.  If you listened to some of the promotion, you could get the impression that this movie was the greatest evangelistic tool in the history of the world.  If only we could get people to see it, we would change the world!

How about two years later when the movie version of Dan Brown’s bestselling book, The Da Vinci Code was being promoted?  I also remember that well.  I read the controversial book for the same reason I have read quite a few other books.  I was hearing so much about it that I felt I needed to be conversant.  When it was announced that the movie version would include Hollywood heavy hitters like Ron Howard and Tom Hanks, folks imagined a blockbuster.  And if you listened to some of the concern from the Christian community, you could get the impression that this movie was the most dangerous film in the history of the world.  If we did not educate people about historical and biblical inaccuracies in Dan Brown’s fiction, we could lose a generation!

You’ve probably heard the phrase, "making mountains out of molehills”, the idea being that the reaction to an event may be disproportionate to the actual event.

I thought about that over this past weekend in observing both the promotion and the protest surrounding The Response, the all-day prayer gathering in Houston called for by Governor Perry.  Now before anyone jumps to any conclusions, let me make it clear that I am not calling this a molehill.  Anytime 30,000 people gather in one place across denominational and racial lines for no other purpose than prayer and worship, it is a significant event.  And from what I was able to watch on the live web stream, I believe God was honored and there may very well be some profound effects in the days ahead.

When I think of mountains and molehills, I think of those who protested the Governor’s participation in an event that was overtly and distinctly Christian, as if it were a threat to religious liberty in our nation and would destroy the wall of separation between church and state.  I saw a quote on a local TV station that said, “We don’t need religion running our country.”  

When I think of mountains and molehills, I also think of those who would suggest that this single event will change the world OR that the correct Christian response is to vote for Rick Perry if he decides to run for president, as if it is possible to bring about national revival through the political process. 

It is my belief that there is one single event that radically changed the world like no other event in history.  It took place over a three day time period about 2000 years ago.  I like to refer to it as the cross-resurrection event.  What matters most in life is how we respond to that event.

Regardless of the various perspectives on the event last Saturday, I believe the organizers got one thing spectacularly right—the name.  Neither our nation nor our individual lives are changed by something that happens to us.  The changes only come through our RESPONSE to what happens to us.  Saturday’s prayers will not matter if prayer for our nation ended at 5:00 p.m. Saturday or if the focus remains on politics or politicians OR if the only ones praying are those who were in the stadium.  Our lives matter so much to God that He wants us to talk to Him, listen to Him, love Him, and do what He says.  

And to trust Him with our mountains and our molehills.