Last week I watched an old Johnny Carson tonight show re-run. He was fantastic; his ability to "draw out" even the most shy individual was amazing. When you couple his efforts with his sidekick Ed McMahon, you get an unbeatable combination. Ed was a former carnival barker and had a way with words that I have always admired. He just had a way of phrasing things that made them memorable!!! So, when I saw the topmost picture today- naturally I liked it!!! Frankly, it was a bit difficult to read the sentence, but when I did- WOW- What a MOUTHFUL!!! Then, when I learned that it had a incremental progression to it- honestly, I was blown away!!! So much so that I sat down and tried to make one of these sentences myself. Don't try it-- It gave me a HEADACHE!!!! So, I am forced to agree with the author of the top picture- Whoever did this WAS A GENIUS!!! Then, I saw the second picture and put the two together (and YES, the percentages add up to 100%) and asked myself... Is there anything that a bona fide genius couldn't figure out??? The answer came in the form of a question (verse 9) and that was encapsulated within the following passage from the book of Paul's letter to the Corinthians...
1 Corinthians, Chapter 2
1 When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written,
“Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”
I consider Paul a genius- his insights into the Old Testament and revelations about God in the New are amazing. When you combine this with the humility that he exhibits in this passage, you have one extraordinary individual. Genius fits him!!! Yet, he teaches us that what God knows is beyond our comprehension and would never even enter our minds!!! And the topic that this applies to is one of the most basic of the human experience. From the moment we come into this world, we are loved. First by parents and family, then by others we gradually come in contact with over the course of our lives. We think we know love, but the love of God is greater- and the blessings HE has in store for us is unfathomable!!! How does one think about these things and NOT be humbled. Or perhaps you carry the same card as the character below???
Oh yes, one more thing....
