Today, Part 1

Wednesday, 07. October 2009 by Dan Ryan

You and I are Batman.

Now hear me out on this one. Because if I can find the right words to pull this off, I believe I’ll have shared the most pivotal lesson God has taught me in the past year.

When I was little, I remember watching the TV show version of Batman. Sometimes Bruce Wayne would spot the Bat-light knifing through the night sky high above Gotham’s skyline, signaling the need for everyone’s favorite Caped Crusader. Other times, a bright red phone in Bruce’s mansion would light up, indicating that the police chief (Commissioner Gordon) was calling Batman directly. 

Well, sometimes God speaks through circumstances, other times through music. Sometimes through messengers dressed as humans. I suppose these and others would represent the Bat-lights in our life, noticeable only if we’re looking for them.

And sometimes He just picks up the phone and uses His direct line to reach us.

Such was the case for me last Sunday. Just after communion, I was sitting in church…just trying to listen, I guess. Ever the teacher, Jesus decided this was the day. And in a single moment, things burst into clarity.

As I said, we had just finished with communion. My mind drifted back to the days leading up to Jesus’ life-saving death. Eight days later, I couldn’t tell you how my mind arrived at one particular scene (other than Jesus taking my mind there), but here’s where I found myself:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.”  —Luke 22:31-32

For whatever reason, I couldn’t shake that scene. Now I see that I couldn’t shake that moment because Jesus was using His direct line. I listened as my Teacher turned the hidden into the obvious. He called me directly, and it went something like this:

“Dan, let Me get this straight. You’ve heard people talk about how the Bible is still happening, which is highly cool to you. So cool that you’ve talked to other people about how it’s still happening—including this very week—right?

So how is it that, when you read this story, you read it as one isolated event in history? It’s powerful to you that I would fight for Peter like that, and it should be! What ever made you think that I am not doing the same for you? Today. What led you to believe I am not fighting for you the same way? Today.”                                   

How could I not have realized this? To be honest, I wasn’t nearly as bothered by my oversight as I was empowered by the discovery and its timing. How long this will last, I’m not sure. But 8 days later, I can tell you His words have definitely changed me so far.

To know that the God I’m trying to follow, to know He is fighting for me today—this brings hope into my discouragement. Over the past week, possibility has actually trumped despair. Yeah, I can write about all of this, but that doesn’t do this past week justice.

Oh, I almost forgot the end of the story. In that scene, Jesus leaves Peter with these words:

“And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  —Luke 22:32

So I suppose that’s what I’m attempting right now. Maybe He wanted one of you out there to know the same thing, to discover you have a God who is fighting for you this very day. And tomorrow, He’s going to do it all over again. This was no single, one-time gesture reserved for Peter; it was one preserved for you.

For me, simply put, that changes things.