A story about the Wright Brothers and their historic first flight on Dec 17, 1903, is told in an exhibit at the National Air & Space Museum. The telegram sent that day to the family is on display. After months of welding, testing, setbacks and accomplishments, the competition was closing in and, the brothers finally came to a point where they felt they could test their hard work in the 21 mph headwinds in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, off Big Kill Devil Hill. Here is the historic message telegraphed to their family.
“Success, four flights Thursday morning all against twenty-one mile per hour wind, started from level with engine power alone, average speed through air thirty-one miles, longest 57 seconds, inform press, home Christmas. Orevelle Wright.”
The family received the telegram and everyone became excited. One of the young girls exclaimed, “Oh good, Uncle Will will be home to carve the Christmas turkey!”
Somehow out of a 34 word message, the family focused on two words describing that the brothers would be home for Christmas, and was oblivious to the fact that innovative history had just been made. They missed 95% of the message by focusing on only part what it said. They didn’t really get the message.
Today we live in a society much like this story illustrates. There was a message sent from heaven to earth over 2000 years ago that today many only read in part. It was a message that describes the love of an Almighty creator, and how he made his creation in his own image. He formed them with his own hands. Breathed into them with his own breath. Gave them an environment that was perfect for them to thrive and multiply.
Unfortunately, the greatest gift of all was the very thing they used to disobey him. The gift of choice. Man distrusted God, and decided he knew better than his Creator, and chose to disobey His instructions. This allowed sin, death, and destruction to enter the human race. Then came the message.
In the fullness of time, in the form of man, and in the exact image of God, Christ came to this earth. He was the message from heaven, that God loved us enough to pay the penalty for our sin. The message was much longer than 34 words. It is comprised of a lifetime of events all compiled into volume of 4 gospels about His life, foreseen by 17 prophetical books of His life, illustrated by 12 books of history before His life, and encouraged by 5 books of poetical wisdom to seek His life. The 5 books of law are included to help us know
the principles of His life and are expounded upon by 22 letters written by men who saw His life with their own eyes. It concludes with a Revelation about His life that is soon to happen.
The problem is that most people only read part of the message. They might see the blessings in the message and narrow their focus to a gospel of prosperity. Others may see the judgments in the message and criticize anything that lands outside their strict ideology. Many find the grace described in the message and tend to forget the justice that accompanies it. Then there are those who just like to pick out a few words here or there, and then combine them with other words here or there, and make their own message that suits their own needs.
The truth of the matter is, the message is about more than all of these things. The whole message of the Bible is about Jesus. In fact the message tells us in its own words, that it was “…written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Roman 15:4. People are without hope today, because they have not read the entire message. People are confused, purposeless, broken, wounded, hateful, angry, despondent, depressed, suicidal, and hopeless because they have not read the whole message. The message gives perfect clarity, purpose, wholeness, healing, love, peace, joy, happiness, life, and hope to anyone who reads it and knows that it is not about the things that we can get from God, but about the relationship we can have with God. I encourage you to read the whole message the Bible presents to us today. Do not just look at the words, but look to who the words are pointing to. When you find him, you will get the message!
The writer is the pastor of Northtowne Church of God, Sidney.
