Life Is Messy

Life is messy.  So is Muckfest.  I, however, don't like to be messy.  "What is Muckfest?" you ask.  It's only the most fun you can have with slime, paint, water, mud and almost 200 teenagers.

Every year our church puts on an multi-day event called Teen Madness.  The apex of the the event is Muckfest. Muckfest involves the teens painting themselves, sloshing in kiddy pools filled with slime, sliding on slip-n-slides covered in slime, sliding down a hill into a slime pit and wallowing in mud -- all contained in a giant mud pit that is being showered by local firefighters.  When all is said and done, the kids gather in the parking lot and are showered off by more firefighters.  The teens absolutely love it.

This is the 3rd year that I've helped out with Teen Madness.  Until this year I have never gotten messy at Muckfest.  I usually stand on the sidelines and escort teens to first aid when they have too much slop in their eyes.

This year started out in much the same fashion.  Then the students started coming to me all slimed up and asking for hugs.  I know they didn't really want hugs.  They really wanted to get me all slimed up too.  So I gave in and handed out hugs.

So now I'm reflecting on the events of the night.  Here's my takeaway...

Life is messy.  The people around us live messy lives.  The way I figure it, we have 2 choices.  We can stand on the sidelines and watch them wallow in the mud and slime.  Or, we can get messy with them and give them hugs.

Jesus chose to get messy.  He got right there into people's messy lives.  Philippians 2:8 says, "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!"  Jesus got messy by hanging out with the messy people of his day.  He was often hanging out with tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and other outcasts.  He comforted.  He healed.  He rebuked.  He encouraged.  And most importantly he died on the cross for their sins and ours.  Jesus got messy for them.  Jesus got messy for you and me.  Jesus got messy to make us clean.

Now, Jesus wants us to get messy to share his love with others.  I think next year, I might have to step up my messiness.

Who wants a hug?