One archer, dressed in various shades of brown, entered the Wood from the east and walked westward. The other archer, dressed all in green, entered from the opposite side of the Wood and walked eastward. The brown archer strode purposefully; he clearly had a destination in mind and appeared to ignore the Wood. The green archer walked with ease, ambling a bit, taking in the beauty of the Wood.
Still, each was on such a path that, had they not halted, they would certainly have collided. Who can say for certain what causes one of us to take notice of another in such disparate mindsets? And yet, at the last, they did sense each other and stopped. For a few seconds they just looked at each other.
Then the brown archer said, "Hello friend. I see you, too, have come to use the King's archery range."
The green archer appeared surprised, looked about, and, for the first time, took notice of the targets set aways off to the north. The brown archer missed this reaction, having already set his gear and begun preparation to shoot.
All the green archer said was, "So, this is the King's range?"
"Oh yes!" replied the brown archer. "Do you not know? The King has set aside the whole of His Wood for the pleasure of His subjects. And he encourages us to use the range to improve our targeting."
As if to demonstrate, the brown archer nocked his first arrow, drew back, eyed the target, and let fly. The arrow flew swiftly across the vast clearing toward one of the targets. At first, the arrow was on course, but at the very last it appeared to lose speed. When it finally struck the target, the arrow rested well below the bullseye.
"Sin!" cried the green archer, a bright grin splitting his face. He was suddenly awakened to the fun that might be had here.
Selecting an arrow from his quiver, the green archer quickly nocked it, drew deeply on the bow, and released. In no time, a loud "THUNK" heralded the arrow's arrival at the other end the clearing. But it was not on the target. It was not even in the hay bales backing the targets. Rather, it was buried, to the fletching, in a hollow tree far off to the right.
"Miss," said the brown archer.
"At least it didn't fall short like yours!" crowed the green archer. Then, before the other could act, he grabbed another arrow, set it to string, and pulled even farther back before releasing. This arrow flew even faster than the first, slicing past the targets, over the bales, past the nearby trees, and off into the forest. No sound of its landing was heard.
The brown archer watched, frozen, as the green archer lofted a third arrow high and to the left, a fourth high and to the right, then turned and sent one through the woods behind them. Finally, shaken from his shock, the brown archer, cried, "What are you doing? You're not even trying to hit the target!"
"Of course not," replied the green archer. "How boring! The fun is in not aiming for the target! I so enjoy the feel of flinging the arrows off at top speed, the flexing of my muscles, and that sense of power! I really don't want to fuss with all that aiming."
The brown archer had heard enough. "Don't you realize there are others in the King's Wood? Your wild arrows could easily hit someone, perhaps even kill someone. We come here so we can practice our aim. This clearing is set up for just that exercise. That's why there are targets. Certainly the King knows we will not always hit the bullseye. I tally many a sin because I am plagued with a weak pull; my arrow often falls short. But no one, not even the worst archer, comes here intending to sin. And we never act in such a way as to endanger others."
The green archer, no longer enjoying himself, spoke petulantly, "Well, you’re no fun." Gathering up his gear, he stalked away, continuing his original journey to the east.
The brown archer watched the other bowman disappear to the east. He stood that way for a while, thinking of the wild abandon with which the other had launched his missiles, recalling the days of his youth when he, too, had been the thoughtless archer. After a while, he selected an arrow from his quiver, nocked it along the string, pulled deeply on the bow, eyed the target for a long while . . .
And then let fly.
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"All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil’s ways." (1 John 3:4-8 MSG)
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PHOTO: http://www.icollector.com/Native-American-Indian-Artifact-Stillwell-Arrowhead_i13082071
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A similar version of this reflection appeared in April 2015.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Third Sunday of Easter (April 15, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=89
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
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DaySpring’s Friday morning Lectionary Breakfasts are a true pleasure. If you're in Waco, join us at 8:00 at the "Egg and I" restaurant. We enjoy the treasures the King has shared with us, luxuriating in each other's company, and tasting the Word to see that it is good.
Bows and arrows are checked at the door.
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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