In the Way
We were having a group discussion on legalism when a friend shared a situation that had occurred in a church she once attended. People were always gossiping and complaining about how things should be done according to their own personal views or traditions. The pastor became concerned about legalism that had crept into his beloved church. So he placed a large wooden cross in front of the congregation during worship and asked that they focus on it. My friend said that afterward people still complained about aspects of the worship (ie; too loud, too soft, off-key, too many hymns, not enough hymns, too contemporary, etc)... you get it. Shaking her head she added, "someone even complained about the cross being 'in the way'!" We all suffer from this blindness; unable able to see the forest for the trees. Just yesterday in fact, I complained all the way to work about the icy roads when suddenly my attention turned to the majestic snow-capped peaks straight ahead...