No Fooling

Greetings Dear Reader,

Although the first recorded record of April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day is in the Canterbury Tales we have no idea how the traditional day of pranks and hoaxes began.  We know it is centuries old and takes on many faces in different parts of the world. At some point today someone will “get my goat” (what do goats have to do with this anyway?).  I have indulged in a few pranks over the years but must admit I am pranked much more often than I prank.

Still I am a fool.  I have been called one by more than one person.   If you ponder the things I believe I am at least foolish if not outright mad as a hatter (this has to do with mercury).  Here is a list that others have said serves as evidence of my foolishness.

• I believe that I have an unseen enemy who watches me and wishes to destroy me.
• I believe that I am being watched constantly.
• I love my enemies.
• I have to die in order to live.
• I try to respond to everything with kindness and love.

The list could be longer.  I have done many things where others have accused me of foolishness.  I do it all because I know that following Christ seems foolish to those who do not believe.  Paul wrote that, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  It is not my place to expect others to see me as wise.

When we follow Christ we are going to appear to be fools.  We need to remember that at one point even Mary thought her Son had gone mad.  She asked his brothers to stop him.  She had seen and heard the angel.  She had tasted the wine made from water.  She knows who Jesus is yet she sees his actions as those of a fool.

So toady I choose to celebrate my foolishness.  I choose to live a life where I have no visible evidence that what I seek is real.  I will follow in faith even when it seems like madness.  I have found good company in this journey.  Most of all I treasure you Dear Reader.  Happy All Fools’ Day; no joke.

God’s Own Fool – Michael Card

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life

As the wisest of all of mankind

But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men

He must have seemed out of His mind

For even His family said He was mad

And the priests said a demon's to blame

But God in the form of this angry young man

Could not have seemed perfectly sane

When we in our foolishness thought we were wise

He played the fool and He opened our eyes

When we in our weakness believed we were strong

He became helpless to show we were wrong

And so we follow God's own fool

For only the foolish can tell-

Believe the unbelievable

And come be a fool as well

So come lose your life for a carpenter's son

For a madman who died for a dream

And you'll have the faith His first followers had

And you'll feel the weight of the beam

So surrender the hunger to say you must know

Have the courage to say I believe

For the power of paradox opens your eyes

And blinds those who say they can see

When we in our foolishness thought we were wise

He played the fool and He opened our eyes

When we in our weakness believed we were strong

He became helpless to show we were wrong

And so we follow God's own fool

For only the foolish can tell-

Believe the unbelievable

And come be a fool as well

So we follow God's own Fool

For only the foolish can tell

Believe the unbelievable,

And come be a fool as well

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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