The room was quiet and I was very still while the shotgun was pointed right at my head for two very long seconds before continuing its slow progression to the older man sitting next to me. He was a tough looking dude with a thick stubble on his face and rough hands. He didn’t move either.
That was the powerful beginning to a gun safety course I had signed up for during my early teen years. The gun, of course, was not loaded and had a bright orange ribbon hanging from the chambers that would have housed two 12 gauge shotgun shells. But still, the room was filled with tension and sweat still formed on my forehead as the instructor made his sweep of the room.
Why would he frighten us with the object we were there to become familiar with? Because awareness of the fatal power of a firearm had to be the context within which we became comfortable with it . That awareness could never leave us even though we were there to learn how to hold, carry, shoot, clean and “live” peacefully with this device.
Those who failed to demonstrate respect for that power were considered fools in the eyes of our instructor. The Bible comments likewise on those who fail to recognize the awesome power of God. For example, Psalm 53:1: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.” And Proverbs 14:16 says, “A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.”
Being reckless with God is foolish. So is being reckless with a gun. That is why our instructor was sure to display the orange ribbon. That was our assurance that the gun could not fire upon us.
God, in His mercy, has offered similar ribbons of assurance. In Genesis He places a rainbow to show His intention to not flood the earth again, to “be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth” (9:13). Later, Jesus becomes that ribbon that stands between us and God’s righteous anger, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9).
These ribbons of grace are not meant to eliminate our fear of God. Just as the safety orange ribbon was not meant to take away the gravity of staring down both barrels of a shotgun. Rather they are reminders that we can come to God anyway. That we are called to pursue Him anyway. To see both the barrels and the ribbons is a reminder that the fear I feel as the potential object of His wrath is indicative of the comfort I can feel as a recipient of His grace.
Lord, You are awesome and holy and all powerful. I can say these things about You and still not fully comprehend them. Thank You for drawing close to me, and for calling me to You anyway. Please help me move beyond what I know about You to a deeper appreciation of Your greatness. May I experience fear and wonder at the thought of that greatness.
