Larry King

I distinctly remember sitting in the theater with my sons when, near the climax of the film, I saw with lucid eyes where "Signs" was going. I almost stood in my seat and cheered.

Recently my pastor used as an analogy in one of his sermons the artform of a decade ago titled "Magic-Eye." You remember? The colors looked like something out of the 60's and if you did something goofy with your eyes--*poof*--an image would miraculously appear. I remember staring at a couple of those things at a kiosk in the mall. When you don't get it, you just don't get it. I walked away thinking surely those things were a product of the 60's and some manner of 60's paraphernalia was required to "see" it. Then some sadist put the things in the comics section of the Sunday paper. In mockery I followed the directions when--*poof*--I saw the image! I almost stood in my seat and cheered.

Not getting it is frustrating especially when those around you see it so clearly and understand so plainly. There are those who will walk away from the kiosk never to return thinking the folks are utterly daft. Then there are those, frustrated as they may be who will stand there for hours trying to "see." And when they walk away at the end of the night, they don't curse those who can see or think that they are loons, but they ache to be able to catch the mystery, too.

Larry King aches to understand the mystery.

This last week, King had Steven Curtis Chapman and his family on his show to discuss the tragedy of death of their daughter and sister, Maria. Chapman's son, Will, through no fault of his own, ran over his sister as she bolted in front of his SUV. The Chapman's chose three outlets through which to share how God's grace and the hope of Jesus Christ have sustained them through this horror. Larry King's show was one of those outlets.

Throughout the telecast, you could see King was utterly befuddled. "Aren't you angry?" "Are you angry at Will?" "Are you angry at God?" "Did you lose your faith?" "Did you question your faith?" And with each answer that revealed the deep peace they had in God, the deep grief they had over the loss of their child, and the deep knowledge they all had that one day, they would see Maria again, King grew more perplexed.

He wasn't frustrated. It wasn't like he was going to pounce upon them for lost faith or stewing anger. Such emotion would have brought him peace because such emotion would be normal. It would have somehow justified the interview to him. But peace, joy and hope amidst overwhelming grief can only be a God thing, and King recognizing that seemed to deflate, "I just don't get it."

This is nothing new for Larry King. He has all manner and all flavor of religious individual on his show from Deepak Chopra to Joel Osteen to John MacArthur to Franklin Graham. The man keeps staring at the Magic-Eye and wants desperately to see the picture. Every angle, every distance, every lighting. I just don't get it.

The day after, Larry King recorded an "About Last Night" segment (watch it here. It's only a minute long), where he discusses the impact of the previous evening. He confesses, "I wish I had that," when discussing their faith, but he miscategorizes it as "blind faith."

God never called anyone to have blind faith. The faith God calls man to have is substantial and that substance is in the God who has proven Himself, has proven His love over and over to His beloved creatures. The Bible teems with testimony about the God who is there, who has spoken, and longs for the restoration of His lost creatures.

Simply, we have rebelled. "We all... have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6a). "There is none righteous; no not one" (Psalm 14:1). Unable to repair the holiness that God demands those who approach Him (Exodus 3:5, Habakkuk 1:13), God provided the fix. He Himself, bore the punishment to satisfy His justice (Isaiah 53:6b). "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). We couldn't get good enough to get to God; the chasm was too vast. God spanned the chasm with the execution of His Son, with the cross of Christ.

Jesus Christ. The mystery. Paul makes plain that this is foolishness to the sophisticate and a stumbling block to the Jew (1 Corinthians 1:23). "I just don't get it."

Please pray for Mr. King and those you know who don't know, those who are utterly stumped by this puzzle, but truly ache to know the truth. Pray that the seed of what was sown by the Chapman's, by MacArthur, by Graham, would take root in his life. Pray that the picture would one day come clear, and that he, too, might stand in his seat and cheer.