September 4th

A Basket of Fruit

            This is what the Lord God showed me—a basket of summer fruit.  He said, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come upon my people Israel; I will never again pass them by.”

Amos 8:1-2

           

            At first glance, this is one of the strangest interactions in Scripture.  God asks the prophet Amos to describe what he sees in his vision.  Amos answers simply: It is a basket of summer fruit.  God then declares judgement upon the people of Israel.  I’ve seen some bad fruit baskets in my day, but none that were egregious enough for me to denounce an entire people.  It does not make a lot of sense.

            Until you realize that God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven of Earth, the Lord of All, King of King’s and the Great I Am…is engaging in some witty word play.  The word for “A basket of summer fruit” is remarkably similar to the word for “The End.”  It would be as if God said to Amos, “What do you see?”

            And Amos replied, “I see people dipping clothing into liquid that changes the color of the cloth.”

            And God would say, “What are they doing?”

            “They are dyeing.”

            God says that the end is coming for Israel because of their wicked ways.  He will not spare them as he did in the Passover as it is time to answer for their sins.  The message is clear…if you are not bogged down by an unexpected use of language.

            My son talks in metaphors.  He talks in movie quotes.  He talks in jokes that don’t quite land and his use of inflection and tone are not typical.  He has some great things to say that reveal an active mind and a warm heart, but it takes some work on the part of the listener to find the meaning beneath the words.

            God speaks in pictures and prophecies and parables so that His listeners will lean in and ask questions and build relationship in their efforts to understand.  That is our call as well with our children.  Lean in.  Ask questions.  Build relationship.  Conversations are not just about the efficient transmission of information.  They are about learning more about who is speaking and what meanings are held in their words.  Conversations are about discovering the reality of the person.  They are windows into who our children are.

            And they take more time than typical conversations.  Trying to rush them will just make everyone frustrated.  Take your time.  Lean in.  Listen.  Ask questions.  Don’t interrupt.  Listen for how they are speaking without words.  Vin Diesel said his iconic “I am Groot” lines over 1,000 with different inflections, pace and tones with each take having a different meaning.  Our kids may repeat the same things over and over again but that does not mean those words carry the same meanings.

            The God of the universe spoke in metaphor and used word play to communicate important messages to Amos.  Our kids should be able to do the same thing with us.

           

A moment to reflect:

What are some of the metaphors and word play that your child likes to use?