It’s that time of year when college teachers really do work. Finals, essays and other projects pile up in a seemingly endless heap. While pondering what grade to give a particular student I suddenly remembered being on the receiving end of zero grade. There was attached note from the prof. “This was an exceedingly interesting five pages worth the above grade. Thanks for the entertainment.” It was the only time I have ever struck out so poorly. Usually one hits a foul ball or two before being out. This was three whiffs.
Now decades later I would like to speak on behalf of the value of a zero. A zero stops you from continuing on a pointless path. A zero is a great place holder. I love zeros in my checkbook when they follow a prime number. The more zeros the better as long as they are left of the decimal point. When I was little I loved the equation “x divided by zero.” It meant I got the whole pie.
There is a zero all of us should covet. It is a capital zero at the top of the list of our sins. Each of us has tallied up an impressive record of misdeeds, but not to worry. God has promised “”I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25. That’s a great zero. If you are looking to receive a truly marvelous Christmas present this year, please take advantage of this offer. It doesn’t come wrapped in pretty paper. It comes to us blood stained from Calvary. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1
Written by Roger Bothwell on December 13, 2016
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