Everywhere I went today the question on people’s lips was “Are you ready for the snowstorm?” What followed was some inane chatter about the weather. This kind of small talk is “Social Lubricant.” Polite society prefers that we acknowledge the presence of others by expressing some interest in them. We ask, “How are you?” Most of us really don’t want to know. We prefer the answer to be, “Just fine. Thank you for asking. How are you?” The other person also doesn’t want to know what meds we are on. These are things we say to smooth encounters. That’s why they are called, “Social Lubricants.”
While watching such an exchange today I got to wondering about “Social Lubricants” in heaven. Surely we will not ask, “How are you?” Everybody will always be fine. There will be no danger of being trapped into hearing about a recent surgery. My wife suggested that instead we will ask, “Where have you been the last millennium?” or “Where are you going?” That “Social Lubricant” could stimulate some very interesting answers. There would be answers we really would like to hear about. It would take billions of years to merely visit all the places in our galaxy. After that we could start on the 100 trillion other galaxies.
This God who invites us to call Him Father is so vast and so amazing and so powerful and so knowledgeable and so aware of everything He staggers our minds. I recently heard a college student begin a prayer with “Dear Daddy.” I’m sure that’s okay. But it did jar me. He just seems to be too EVERYTHING to be “Daddy.” Perhaps I have a lot to learn.
Written by Roger Bothwell on January 12, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org