Evangelism: The Foolishness of God
April Fool’s Day: It was on this date in 1778 that a New Orleans businessman, Oliver Pollock, created the “$” symbol. Now, world-wide, this symbol is all many see before their eyes, even to making all it represents their god. Serious stuff, and its no joke!
On this date in 1905 the German government first adopted the acronym “SOS” as a morse code distress signal: 3 dots, 3 dashes, 3 dots. It is a symbol now recognised globally to the saving of many lives, and that’s no joke!
And it was on this date in 1969 that the Royal Canadian Mint formally formed as a Crown Corporation. It is the central repository of Canadian money, the stuff that many believe makes this world go round! Sadly, the ubiquity of this belief too is no joke at all!
But it was also at about this time, during these several days that God’s eternal plan of redemption climaxed within the confines of human history. The eternal emptied Himself sufficient to unite with the temporal. Creator united with creation. God united with man. Into damnation came salvation, and we killed Him! We mutilated Him. Spat on Him. Mocked Him. We deemed Him a joke! A delusional! We had our laws. We needed no saviour. We pounded nails through His flesh and into rough wood. Though He made the flesh, the metal, the tree we perverted them all into expressions of hatred.
We were and still are fools!
We are the April Fool, we are every month’s fool, and ever shall be until we fall at this cross begging mercy… more than mercy… begging grace. Like all, other things in Christ’s Kingdom we find our goal by seeking its opposite: the way to wisdom is what seems at first to be foolishness.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ [Isaiah 29:14] Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” (1 Cor. 1:18-21).
And indeed, of all things, this is no joke at all!
“the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (v. 25).
Press on…
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thebrokenrunner 