A beloved brother of Gospel Community Church, Al Eastwood (no relation to Clint), went home to be with the LORD last week. Al and his wife Merrill have been living in Florida for the past decade or so. Al had Parkinson’s Disease. Sue and I met him 3 summers ago when they came back to NY for the summer of 2007. Al was very frail even then but when he was younger, he was a valuable member of the church, well-loved and good friend to many. His wake was last Thursday and the service was Thursday night. We couldn’t make the service because of softball even though we wanted to go but there would have been no one to run the girl’s team that night.
Al was buried at Calverton on Friday and everyone was invited back to the church afterwards for food. Sue and I helped Ellen setup the tables, make the coffee and make sure everything was right for when they came back. We were also waiting for the delivery of the Big Sammich (a 6-ft hero). We didn’t stay once everyone showed up. We were there just to setup.
Ellen’s mom, Dolores, makes the best potato salad ever. When we were setting up, I noticed a whole aluminum tray of her potato salad in the fridge. Our mouth’s were watering for a piece of hero and Dolores’ potato salad. But, we left as we had planned.
On Saturday morning, I open up the church at 6:30 AM for the Men’s Bible Study Breakfast. When I opened the refrigerator, I was disappointed that no Sammich was left but I did notice the aluminum tray. So, when the men were finished with the bible study and as I was leaving, I asked Pastor Ed if I could take the aluminum tray home with me because I was certain that Dolores’ potato salad would eventually get thrown out. Pastor said to take it home.
I got home and put it in the fridge excited about having the leftover potato salad to enjoy. When noon rolled around, I told Sue, I was going to make a plate of potato salad. She didn’t want any which meant that there was more for me. I got out a plate, took the salad out of the fridge and opened it to spoon some out. When I peeled back the aluminum foil on the aluminum tray, my eyes opened in amazement and then saddened as the disappointment was realized. It was a tray of chocolate chip cookies. It was the first time ever in my life that I was unhappy to see a chocolate chip cookie.
Two similar tray; 2 different foods; 1 disappointed man. So, I did what any other true-blooded American would do – I ate a cookie!
The object of my belief was the tray. I believed that the tray was what I wanted. That it contained all that I expected. I made it my idol, took it home and worshipped it. But, when I opened it, it was a lie. It wasn’t what I wanted. It was something else altogether. The outside was the same, the inside was very different. It wasn’t the real thing.
Unfortunately, many people today believe in god the way I believed in that tray. They claim to believe in their own god but once the true layer in peeled back, the One True God is revealed and it’s not what they expected. Potato salad and chocolate chip cookies are one thing but, salvation, eternal life and redemption are something else.
That One True God is God, eternally present in 3 Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He will never disappoint you. He will never fool you. He’s the real thing. The One True God is not an object. It’s not a feeling. It’s not an idea. It’s not an as-long-as-you-believe-in-something-you’re-ok kind of god. No, it’s none of these things.
The One True God is revealed to us in a Person, the LORD Jesus Christ. John 17:3 says “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (KJV)
Don’t be fooled by the outward appearance. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life. (John14:6)
So, go ahead and peel back and “taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.” (Psalm 34:8)
