Father Andrew Greeley was a respected priest, author and sociologist who spent most of his life serving the people of Chicago. He also had a knack for writing parables, stories that invite us into considering paradoxical truths about our lives. He wrote this modern day parable about our scripture passage this weekend:
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Once there was a high school football quarterback. He was very good, very professional, very slick. He never took any chances. If the alternative was a long pass to a receiver who might have been open or a short pass to a tight end for seven yards, he threw the latter. That way, he didn't run many risks of an interception. He was not exciting, but he won games.
Then in the championship game, the opponents had him figured out. They blitzed almost every time, frequently using their safeties who knew they didn't have to cover the long receivers. No cover - two for these guys. At the end of the third quarter, they were down twenty to zip. Then the coach sent in a crazy freshman who had a rocket arm. He threw three touchdown passes in the final ten minutes of the game and the team won by one point. The crowed loved it.
Nothing like an exciting game for a change."
I invite you to read the passage here and consider it in light of this parable. We'll explore it in depth this weekend as we continue our series on "The Good Life." We'll have some great music, more baptisms, and much to consider.
Come, and bring a friend.
