Desmond Bishop forgot his ID. It probably wasn’t the first time he’d misplaced it; after all he is a grown man. I’m sure over the years he’d left it behind a few times. We all have.
There’s no feeling quite like realizing the red lights in your rear view mirror are for you and you don’t have your wallet. Or, waiting patiently in the check-out line until it’s your turn, and then patting empty pockets looking for your debit card which isn’t there. This is especially embarrassing if you’ve grunted a few times while the lady in front of you took extra time searching for her checkbook.
I remember one occasion in particular when I had to convince security at a huge banquet center that they should let me pass even though I didn’t have any ID. I made my case around the argument that they should let me in since I was the guy who just married the couple the very expensive reception was for, and if I wasn’t there to pray for the food, even security might not get to eat. They let me in.
However, Desmond Bishop was not so lucky. He didn’t get in, and consequently he missed out on a big deal. Desmond Bishop is a linebacker for the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and it was Green Bay day at the 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., the White House. Standing in line, he realized he’d left his ID on the team bus. He wondered if that would be a problem. Surely, they would let him in, right? He’s six foot two, two hundred thirty eight pound, world champion, NFL linebacker, Desmond Bishop. Everyone knows who he is, right? Nope. Not the secret service. I guess they don’t watch a lot of football. Turns out the only football they’re interested in… is handcuffed to a man’s wrist. Fumble that one and they’ll shoot you. But I digress. Desmond Bishop had no ID and therefore Desmond Bishop was not going to get in. And so he sat outside and tweeted on his iphone while his teammates partied with the President. I’m sure he’ll live that down eventually, but it will take a while.
I was thinking about God and how hard it could be to get an audience with him. How impossible it would be for sinful man to ever stand in his presence, much less ask for help. And then it got personal.
I remembered... I remembered how lost I was, how unworthy I was, and confused I was that first day many years ago when I decided to seek His presence. For that matter, I remembered how lost, unworthy, and confused I was last Tuesday when I needed to hear His voice and sense his presence. The truth is I was no more worthy last Tuesday, than I was that day more than 2 decades ago when I first sought God.
My problem really was not so much not having an ID as having one. What should have kept me out was not the fact that I wasn’t known; but the fact I was known. I knew who I was and knew I was unworthy. Whoever said “it’s who you know that matters” was right. I met Jesus and Jesus got me in. When there was no chance of my purchasing a ticket; Jesus handed me one. When security would never let me pass, Jesus led me all the way.