WEDNESDAY

Colossians 1:16

• What are some of the places Jesus’ greatness extends?

At my church, we do a massive Nativity production called “Walk Through the Nativity,” in which we invite our congregation and the local community to experience the Christmas story firsthand. We have an angel choir, first-century Nazareth, and, of course, a mini petting zoo to better understand Mary’s makeshift hospital (a stable). Last Christmas, I was getting acquainted with our furry friends for the night: the chickens, rabbits, sheep, a distinguished young miniature pony named Leonard, and the goats.

The goats were nibblers—we were warned, but I didn’t listen. Sure enough, after just a few pets, one of the goats gave my fingers a full CHOMP.

Later, telling this story to my students, Jacob, a junior, generously quipped, “Goat recognizes G.O.A.T., I guess!” to which Makayla, an assertive senior, reprimanded: “Jacob! That’s rude! Don’t call Pastor Linds a goat!” It took her about ten seconds before she realized Jacob had meant his comment as a compliment, not an insult.

Perhaps you’ve heard of this acronym, the GOAT, meaning the “Greatest of All Time.” Its constituents are typically athletic figures like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams…but it could be people in other fields as well–The Beatles, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, the list goes on and on. Discussions swirl around who it is–one person alone can hold the title, so who is that one person?

Greatness is something we debate a lot—whether it’s music, sports, entertainment, whatever. When was the last time you stopped to consider God’s greatness? Was it when you were a kid, singing that old familiar children’s song? Whenever it was, it’s worth meditating on again. My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!