Imago Gospels - 30 - Dung
I’ve spent more time in the last few days having serious conversations about dung/poop/etc than I have had in a long time (probably since the health charts we had to fill out for our kids after they got home from being in the NICU after being born). Two of the most important things we watched for on our game drives the last few days was the different types of dung that were on the roads. Was it a lion? A rhino? A cape buffalo? An elephant? Not only did they each look different, but our guide also noted how we could tell how healthy the animals were, what they were eating, how recently that animal had gone by there, and so forth. So, lots of conversations about dung. So, how could I resist a picture like this when Jesus talks about “what comes out of a person is what defiles…”
I understand that Jesus is not talking literally here, but there is a parallel - just as the different dung that we were seeing the last few days told us a lot, so what comes out of a person in their words and actions tells us a lot about who they are inside. There are some people I have run into in life who just exude grace in their words and actions. You can tell there is something different and transformative that is ongoing in their lives. I have also crossed paths with many who were far from that. Each one of us each day reflect this same reality - we should not be concerned with the externals, but the internal so that what comes out of us - what others see, what the world sees…that they see Jesus at work.