For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
One of my favorite movie characters from childhood was Alex Karras as “Mongo” the dimwit in Blazing Saddles. Mongo didn’t say much, but he rode a bull instead of a horse, so I guess he didn’t have to. At one point in the movie, the mayor rides up and tells Mongo that he can’t park his bull on the street. Without a word, Mongo stalks over to the officious meddler and . . . punches his horse out from underneath him. And that was that. I have always loved the way Mongo handled that. You know, you’re trying to park your bull outside the saloon and some Yankee with a top hat tries to tell you what to do. If you hit him, you’ll be arrested. So, what the heck? Wham--punch his horse instead. No PETA back in the old west I guess.
Since I have started to read the Bible seriously, I have had a lot of Mongo moments. There I would be, mumbling up some rambling worldly legalism to myself—usually to rationalize holding onto to something the Lord was trying to pry out of my greasy hand, and Wham—He’d use the Word to punch that dirty horse right out from underneath me. Mongo, right to the heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment