268 Years

We’re currently in the middle of a series at Cornerstone called “Hallelujah.” Sitting around one morning thinking of all the ideas we’d tossed out about Christmas, thinking about how we said we just want to celebrate Jesus well, in a big way, and trying to come up with direction for the series, the Hallelujah chorus began to ring in my head. I couldn’t shake it. It was the sound of a massive symphony orchestra singing Hallelujah with deep passion. I knew this is where we should go for the weeks leading up to Christmas, the day we celebrate the incarnation, the coming of the King.

As we talked through the series, we knew we had to include the Hallelujah chorus somewhere and that the most appropriate place was the first week. After it played, Rusty gave the history of the song, a climactic section in the oratorio, The Messiah. For 268 years, the work has survived, and moved people.

A friend of mine challenged me the next day with this thought: What am I doing that will be remembered in 268 years. My tweets will pass and be forgotten. My blog posts will pass and be forgotten. My facebook status updates will be forgotten. My ideas will have passed on. (More than likely, a good 100% of the things I do will be forgotten completely.) But what if I do even one thing that lasts that long that has as big of an impact for the kingdom of God that The Messiah has had?

But as I process this, I can only think about my grandparents whom I was never privileged to meet in this world. I do not know all their names. I do not know all their deeds. For the most part, their lives are completely forgotten and unknown by the rest of the world. They believed, however. They pressed forward in faith. They influenced the next generation. Down to my own parents. Down to my brother, my sister, and me. And now we influence people. Now we press forward in faith.

While I may not be remembered as Handel is for writing the Messiah. I hope that in my obedience, in 268 years, generations will be different.