The box

The Church is a “container”. It is a cardboard box filled with bubble wrap and cornstarch peanuts. It provides rigidity and structure and protection. It is designed to insure that the “contents” arrive safely and in one piece. It is a means for getting the gospel from God to you.

Children are fascinated with boxes. They play with them, decorate them, make all sorts of castles and forts of them. They sleep and eat in them. They want to live in them forever! To children, even a tiny box can become a “large and spacious building”. A tiny box can become a child’s world.

Children also play with bubble wrap, making all sorts of noise. But, in the end, it’s just air.

Kids will “hold” and toss around cornstarch peanuts, usually making a mess of things. The peanuts themselves have little value. They’re not “good” for anything – except to deliver the gift. Kids will play all day with peanuts. They’ll even fight over them.

In the end, once the package is delivered and the contents are removed, the box is no longer needed. It can be thrown away. Or folded up and saved for later. Or used for something else.

God can always deliver the gift personally. He doesn’t need a box.

And neither do those who have already received the gift.