Sunday, November 9, 2014

Let him enter. He's with me

Some years ago I stumbled onto a Choir concert in the city of Chichester, England.  I had decided to drive to this city because I had seen the cathedral there in the evening and I thought it might be interesting to see it during the day.  It is very large and beautiful.  To my surprise, I found a large festival happening.  It was a festival of choirs, and on this day was the final performance in the cathedral itself.

I parked the car and walked to the cathedral.  I stood outside the entrance and listened to the choir.  It was beautiful but I could only really hear when the door opened to let people in and out.  The concert was sold out and I didn't have a ticket so I just stood there in the long portico and enjoyed the feeling.

As I was standing there, an older woman came out for a smoke.  She stood there smoking and so I struck up a conversation with her.  First, I told her how much I loved the music.  Then, I told her where I was from and how long I would be in England.  I told her that I loved this festival.  I must have said all of the right things because she was so pleased.  It turned out that her husband was the choir director and this was his big performance.  I was excited for her and complimented her and her husband on the sound.

She asked me if I wanted to come inside and really experience the choir instead of just hearing it muffled.  I said "Of course! But I don't have a ticket and I am too late because it is sold out"  She said that would not be a problem.  "Oh?" I said, "How is that?"  She said "Well, you will be my guest."  "But I still don't have a ticket and I need a ticket to get it", I said.  She said, "Now you just follow me and don't say a word to anyone as we go in.  You just let me handle it".  As we went in. I was stopped at the door with her and she said: "He's with me! Let him enter".  That was all it took.  She had the clout I needed to get in.  Now I could really experience the sound, the ambiance and spirit that came from the choir. After the concert, I met her husband and thanked them both for the performance.  I was so pleased that I could come in.

Fast forward 15 years and I find myself on this day contemplating the scene again.  All it took was the right person to say: "Let him in, he is with me" and no special preparation was required to enter.  I was able to enter because of her.  This is very similar to what it will be like for us after this life when we desire to the enter Heavenly Father's kingdom.  None of us has a ticket to enter on our own.  We are and will be worthy to enter because Christ will be there vouching for us.  He will be there saying: "Let him enter, he is with me".  He earned the right to say those words by his great sacrifice for us and we are forever blessed by it.

I bear testimony that this is true.