Christianity - Shallow and Deep

Growing up in Florida, my family had a pool. Every summer, me, my brother, friends, and family would swim in it. As with most pools, our pool had a shallow end and a deep end. The older I became, the more I enjoyed swimming in the deep end. I loved to dive into the deep end, touch the bottom, and come up. My kids, though, prefer the shallow end. As children, they understandably find the deep end intimidating. The pool can accommodate those that prefer the shallow or the deep end.

Christianity is like a pool. It’s both shallow and deep. It accommodates for all types of people.

Jesus teaches that children are to come to him to find salvation (Matt 19:14). For Jesus to instruct this to children, his teachings must be simple. What are Jesus’ teachings? That we have done wrong, that we have sinned, that we need forgiveness, and that the way we receive forgiveness is through Jesus. That’s not rocket science. That’s straightforward and simple. Children can understand that. That’s the “shallow” end

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Christianity is also tremendously complex. Take, for example, Christianity’s theological magnificence: the doctrine of the Trinity, the history of redemption, God’s eternal will, God’s immutability, eternality, omni-benevolence, and incomprehensibility, etc. These teachings demand a life of study. Yet, even if we become scholars, our journey of learning has only begun. In this life we barely scratch the surface of God’s eternality. That’s the “deep” end.

Christianity accommodates for everyone, regardless of who you are—a child, a scholar, or someone else in between. Christianity is shallow enough for a child to wade in, yet deep enough for an elephant to drown in. Christianity is like a pool—shallow and deep. It’s for everyone. It’s for you.

Pastor Chance