God's New Alphabet

Over the past several months, I've had the privilege of studying the insights of some of the brightest minds in theology. An author with extraordinary insights whose thoughts I'd like to quote today is none other than Dr. Seuss. So sit back, relax, and enjoy just a part of this children's literary masterpiece, On Beyond Zebra, which is surprisingly theologically correct.

Said Conrad Cornelius O'Donnell O'Dell,
My very young friend who was learning to spell,
"The A is for Ape, the B is for Bear,
The C is for Camel, the H is for Hare,
The M is for Mouse, the R is for Rat...
I know all 26 letters like that.
Through to Z is for Zebra,
I know them all well.
Now I know everything anyone knows -
From beginning to end - from the start to the close -
Because Z is as far as the alphabet goes."

Then he almost fell flat on his face on the floor
When I picked up the chalk and drew one letter more.
A letter he had never dreamed of before.
And I said, "You can stop if you want with the Z,
And most people stop with the Z, but not me.
In the places I go, there are things that I see
That I never could spell if I stopped with a Z.
I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends,
My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends.
So on beyond Z, it's high time you were shown
That you really don't know all there is to be known."

And there, the ever popular children's author, Dr. Seuss, sets the stage perfectly for the divine revelation of God's new alphabet.

The book of John in the Bible has been called the "Genesis" of the New Testament; God speaking "life" to humankind through the Person of Jesus. And it is in this book that John beautifully reveals the depth of God's love through the incarnation of the Son. Reading verse 18 of chapter 1, we find out how John explains this mystery.

"No one has ever seen God. But His only Son,
Who is Himself God, is near to the Father's
heart; He has told us about Him."

Jesus, the Holy Son of God, physically revealed the Father for the first time in history. And with this incredible revelation came God's new covenant for humankind. John said it himself in verse 17.

"For the law was given through Moses;
God's unfailing love and faithfulness came
through Jesus Christ."

Jesus was the revelation to us of God's unfailing love and faithfulness. With the incarnation of Jesus, God added a new word to our dictionary; a new letter to our alphabet. Because God came to dwell with us,we now know the meaning of grace. Why did He do this? Why did God come to earth in human form and enlarge the "alphabet" of our vision with a personal visitation? Maybe because He knew, without that revelation, we could never spell redemption, justification, and forgiveness.

So the next time you think you've got life all figured out but eternal hope is not part of the equation, let me leave you with my own adaptation of the immortal words of Dr. Seuss: I'm telling you this 'cause you're one of my friends, GOD'S alphabet starts where your alphabet ends. So on beyond Z, it's high time you were shown that you really don't know all there is to be known.