A wonderful thing

 John ate locusts (1:6) 

Many years ago, my parents were gifted a holiday in Greece. Dad loves all that Roman and Greek ancient world stuff, and the first week was to be a coach trip around the sites. Sadly for him he bought his son along, me, and I was suffering with, well, ME. After a day in the mayhem that is Athens, I was in meltdown. Bless him, for he gave up his trip of a lifetime and we left Piraeus harbour the next day by fast ferry for Aegina. And my recovery began. Day 5 I think it was, and we were in our favourite restaurant. I felt better and brave and ordered squid. Well, I can tell you that bicycle inner tubes are tender compared to that squid. I can still imagine the staff hiding behind the kitchen door laughing quietly at each failed mouthful. It was truly foul and has put me off seafood for life.

So I have sympathy with John and his lunch of locusts. Did he mix them with honey to kill the taste, one wonders? I do hope so. What I wonder more is why he ate such strange food in the first place. I get the idea that he foraged from the desert, but surely he could have found something more palatable. I rather suspect this was part of God's call on his life. He must have often wondered why on earth God had sent him into the wilderness (aren't there more people in the cities, Lord?) and, even more, why he'd been asked to eat such a weird diet. But you know what: this was what drew the crowds. 

So here's my thought. Stop wondering what is the good thing to do and start asking what is the God thing to do. And when the God thing seems weird, just give it a go. It might be a first step to something wonderful.



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