Fireworks

By all accounts, the Coast Guard fireworks and drone show on Saturday night were spectacular.  On the hundredth anniversary of the Coast Guard Festival, they pulled out all the stops and treated the crowds of spectators to a show worth sitting in traffic for.  As children we are mesmerized by fireworks.  Once we get over our fear of the loud booms, fireworks are magical for a child to witness.  Even sparklers and backyard fireworks are wonderfully entertaining.  But most of us have seen fireworks enough for the shine to wear off.  They are shot off nearly every weekend somewhere - after baseball games, town festivals, county fairs.  Once you’ve seen a hundred fireworks demonstrations, they just aren’t as impressive or awe-inspiring anymore.  It takes an over-the-top show like Saturday night to really impress us.

Religious experiences can be a bit like fireworks.  If we base our faith on mountaintop spiritual experiences, we will inevitably need to find higher and higher mountains.  What a worship song on the radio once did for us, now requires a time of worship in a church service.  What a Sunday sermon did for us now requires a conference speaker.  If we build our faith on spectacular experiences, we will eventually run out of ways to scratch that itch.  I suspect this is why Jesus talks about the simple things in life: seeds, birds, plants, yeast.  It’s great to have big fireworks from time to time.  It can provide a boost and some fresh momentum.  But our spiritual lives are lived amongst homework assignments, diaper changes, and doctor appointments.  And if we pay attention, we will find that God faithfully meets us there as well.  Enjoy the fireworks.  But know that God is just as present while you’re sitting in traffic afterwards.