Out Our Way: Goliath's Gospel: Rainbows and color blindness

And Jesus told a parable. "A sower went out to sow, and he cast the seed, some fell along the pathway and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell in very thin soil where there was no room for the seed to put roots down. The seed began to grow but with no depth, the sprouts quickly dried out and died. Some seed fell amongst the weeds and thorns where they grew for a time. but were quickly crowded out and also failed to prosper. But the seed that fell in the good soil - soil with depth and prepared to recieve the seed - flourished and produced a great harvest. If you have the wisdom to listen, then hear the parable and understand." (Paraphrase of Mark 4:3-9)

Out our way, just about everybody knows about Goliath's fear of the culvert along the nature trail in Beaver Creek. No matter how many times we have crossed it, he spooks and has to be taught again and again. I force him to cross going south - I push him over going north - I repeat until "both sides" cross without fear. And two days later, he's terrified again.

I spoke with my buddy Ric about this once and he reminded me that horse brains are about the size of an orange. In Goliath's case, maybe it's the size of a tangerine. Certainly when it comes to that culvert it seems to be the case. As smart as Goliath is in so many other ways, he has a blind spot when it comes to culverts. Well, I suppose we all have our own blind spots, but sadly, some are more serious than others.

The other day, I was in contact with a woman who told me she was not interested in dating a minister because she was an atheist. Well, I allowed that was a pretty good reason to not want to pursue a relationship, but she wasn't satisfied with that. She had to keep going that because she had never experienced God and no one could show her God, she was just too intelligent to believe in God. At that point I admit I got a bit feisty. I reminded her that folks who are colorblind can't really see a rainbow - but that doesn't mean it's not there.

In the parable of the sower Jesus spoke about folks whose hearts and minds are so closed they are like a hardened path that nothing can penetrate. Seed - that is the Gospel - that falls on hardened hearts cannot grow. Soil has to breathe for anything to grow. Soil has to let in moisture and nutrients to be of any use. Otherwise it is as dense and dead and barren as solid rock. The same is true of the human soul.

Imagine looking at a glorious sunset, or the moonrise over the Sweetgrass Hills and feeling nothing. Imagine listening to a meadowlark or a deeply felt love song and only hearing noise. Imagine the rainbow gloriously spreading across a Montana prairie after a rain storm - and only seeeing various shades of grey.

How do I explain God to an atheist? How do I explain color to the colorblind, Mozart or the meadowlark to the tone deaf, the moonrise to someone who cannot see the sky? Perhaps it can be done. Perhaps with patience and love somehow the blind may begin to see and the deaf begin to hear. It has happened before. After all if Goliath can cross that culvert - anything is possible.

(John Bruington, Goliath and Scout's ramblings can be read at http://www.havrepres.org along with Bruin Town Tales and this week's sermon. The book, "Out Our Way: Theology Under Saddle" is also available at Amazon.com.)