Harmony Revisited

The following account is a true story, which should make it all the more hilarious.

It was a warm summer Sunday morning. We'd had visitors to our church who claimed the Lord had miraculously changed all the husbands porcelain crowns to gold. The pastor and several elders had witnessed the presence of the beautiful gold work, although not the transformation. It appeared the activities for the morning included praying for God to announce his presence by doing the same in the congregation. I glanced around the sanctuary praying that no one I knew from town had come to visit that day. I was shamefully full of glee that my prayer was apparently answered.

After a few members had been given flashlights by the elders, the rest of us were lined up in the front of the church and instructed to open our mouths to see if God was made manifest that morning in gold crowns and fillings. I suffered through it, waiting until it was over so I could grab my family and run home as fast as my little legs would carry me. Everyone seemed so expectant and full of faith and I was well aware there wasn't another voice of reason that would back me up if I confessed my doubt that there was ever a miracle in the first place. (I did have my suspicion that this was nothing more than some excellent dentistry.)

To my chagrin, one member exclaimed upon looking in my mouth that not one filling was gold, all of them had been transformed! So much for blending into the burnt umber carpeted altar. Instantly the crowd pressed around me eager to see the work of the Lord. Even the pastor exclaimed, "They're all gold! God is surely here this morning.!" Well, I had to go see for myself, so I walked the long trek to the ladies room and opened wide and looked in the mirror. Much to my surprise (ha!) I found my teeth were still the same silver color they always were. I returned and proclaimed it to be so and was immediately berated for my lack of faith. Although they tried to do this with affection, it still left the impression of someone trying to tell another that they were foolish in their childish belief that the planets revolved around the sun and not the earth. The easiest thing to do was to keep quite, bide my time until the service had ended and go home. But I'm not known for doing the easiest thing. Surely, if a voice of reason could be heard, others would see that this was hysteria at worst, foolishness at best.

I called my daughter over and handed her the flashlight. "Look in my mouth dear, and tell me what you see?" She answered, "Teeth and fillings." I asked her what color they were. "What do you mean?" she asked, "The same color they've always been, silver." I then asked out loud if anyone had ever read the Emporer's New Clothes? The shock was tangible. I was a doubter and could not receive a blessing from the Lord, and had also caused my impressionable young daughter to doubt the works of the Lord as well. If I wasn't trying my best not to cry from laughing, I would have cried from crying.

The next Sunday I returned (Lord knows why, but that's another story) and sat in the back. The announcement was made that several people had been touched by God's hand and had heavenly crowns. (I don't think that's what the bible meant when it says we will be casting our crowns at His feet) I was mentioned by name with concern that I had missed the blessing of the Lord because of my unbelief.

This soon passed, but was mentioned from time to time with anticipation that something similar would again show us how present God is and how concerned he is with our lives.

There is a light that can shine on us and show us how we are being transformed from works of flesh to works of gold. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Ps 119:105)" We might be better of if we let Him shine His light on our hearts and give us crowns we can carry in our souls. These won't rust or decay but will accompany us to that great by-and-by when we can present them to Him in new splendor and a greater glory than we can ever witness here on earth.