This past week, the world watched as workers brought thirty three Chilean miners back to the surface after they had spent seventy days underground. The scene at the mine was nothing short of impressive. Wives hugged husbands. Children and mothers cried as they awaited the arrival of the next miner. People celebrated and church bells rang.
More impressive, maybe, were the words spoken by the men. For example, Mario Sepulveda Espina said, “Life is short. In one minute you can lose it. In one minute it can all be gone. Don’t worry so much about money. Live your life. Live every second of it.” Suddenly, little things were important. Hugging their families, or seeing their sons became a big deal. In fact, just having another day to live was worth celebrating. Things change when you get a second chance to live your life.
In Acts chapter 8, a follower of Jesus, named Philip, meets a man from Ethiopia. This man was reading from the book of Isaiah and he was confused, so it says, “Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (verse 35). Then they came to some water and the man said, “’Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him” (verses 36-38). The best part, though, is verse 39 where it says that the man “Went on his way rejoicing”.
At its heart, faith is not about rules, laws, books or actions. Rather, it is about the chance to start your life over again. It is about forgiveness, wiping the slate clean and seeing things differently so that we can live differently. It is about “going on your way rejoicing”.
As the Chilean miners reminded us, second chances and “rebirth” are worth celebrating.
More impressive, maybe, were the words spoken by the men. For example, Mario Sepulveda Espina said, “Life is short. In one minute you can lose it. In one minute it can all be gone. Don’t worry so much about money. Live your life. Live every second of it.” Suddenly, little things were important. Hugging their families, or seeing their sons became a big deal. In fact, just having another day to live was worth celebrating. Things change when you get a second chance to live your life.
In Acts chapter 8, a follower of Jesus, named Philip, meets a man from Ethiopia. This man was reading from the book of Isaiah and he was confused, so it says, “Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (verse 35). Then they came to some water and the man said, “’Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him” (verses 36-38). The best part, though, is verse 39 where it says that the man “Went on his way rejoicing”.
At its heart, faith is not about rules, laws, books or actions. Rather, it is about the chance to start your life over again. It is about forgiveness, wiping the slate clean and seeing things differently so that we can live differently. It is about “going on your way rejoicing”.
As the Chilean miners reminded us, second chances and “rebirth” are worth celebrating.
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