The Long and Short of It

After my extended summer hiatus, I have resurrected writing my micro-blog for the church bulletin. Today's column to tie into the Gospel lesson...

The long and short of it

The state cross country meet was held in Wisconsin Rapids yesterday. I’ve been attending regularly since my son was in high school and his team would make it state. Even though he’s graduated, I still go so I can take pictures (my side hobby) of any runners I know.

If you’ve been to any cross country event, you know that there are only a few places on the course where you can see and cheer on your runners. That’s where people congregate. Take that crowd size times 100 for the state meet. Especially at the finish line. I’ve given up trying to see over people’s heads there. Instead I kneel and sneak in front of them to take photos.

That’s what we petite people do. I know Zacchaeus can identify.

Back in Biblical times, when I was a kid in Sunday School, we used to sing a song about Zacchaeus. With actions, of course! So when we sang, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he” and held our fingers close together to indicate his size, I would picture a little 2-inch-tall man, like a character out of that Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movie. I wasn’t thinking that, hey, he’s just vertically challenged like me!

But he was.

Just a short man trying to see over people’s heads in a crowd – much like me at any concert or sporting event. “Down in front!”

Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t care about our physical stature – tall or short. What he does care about is if we shortchange people, we’re short-tempered, short on time for others, or short-sighted, among other shortcomings.

I guess I’d rather just be short. Although when I went for my annual physical, I’ve shortened from 5’2” to 5’1 ¾”. I’ll be in one of those shrinking movies before you know it. Hope God can find me!