When I hear “bubble” all sorts of images flood into my head. In no particular order or rank, I immediately think of “Double Bubble” chewing gum, “Bubble Fun” soap bubbles, the “bubble head” on a beer poured too fast, and those “bubble icons” used in cartoon strips. Maybe my favorite is Charlie Brown and the bubble surrounding his constant comment, “Oh good grief!”
Most recently, the word “bubble” might be useful to describe the maniacal ravings captured in a quip I saw on Facebook this morning. The quote went like this:
The forest was shrinking, but it kept voting for the axe, because its handle was made of wood, and they thought it was one of them.”
And so goes the nay-sayers, haters, and blind who are still living in the bubble that Hillary should have won, and that Trump needs to be impeached. This bubble is so hard to break out of, but somebody needs to do it besides Kanye West. Don’t get me wrong, in a world filled with chaotic voices screaming at each other, it’s sometimes hard to hear the truth. He’s done a good thing by breaking out of his bubble, and on TMZ this week, saying he was “free thinking” and that he had “slipped the bonds of black political conventions.” (Full story here.)
Bubbles are interesting to study. In my childhood days we would play “who can blow the biggest bubble” with our gum. Some yAyhoo would blow a great big one, not being able to see the nose on his face, when one of his “so-called” friends would punch the bubble and all the gum residue would end up on the kids face. Is this not a sign of our current political times? Hmmmm.
Soap bubbles are a great delight to children everywhere, including me. (Sometimes I think I’m just a 64 year old kid). Just dip the stick, put it to your lips and blow. Out of this magic wand come these grand illusions of light flying lightly on the breeze, traveling up and out to worlds unknown. It’s great fun, you should try it.
Now, here’s the thing.
There is more to this life, and to our world, than any one of us can see in our tiny bubble of existence. I’m not just talking philosophically, I really mean it. Sometimes folks are carried along on the wind of tradition and ritual, like so many soap bubbles, never realizing the changes happening all around them. Then, when forced to consider the changes can be good, the bursting of those bubbles is so traumatic, they believe life as they know it is over.
One of these days, the whole world will come to understand that a larger plan and purpose has been at work in all of it. Like Charlie Brown, to a person, all around the world, there is a day coming when there will be a great lament, “oh, good grief!” Because in that moment the whole world will know their little bubble, was not the only bubble. Like concentric circles (or bubbles) of our life, our church, our city, our state, our nation, our world, our universe, and all of space beyond… is contained in the sovereign “bubble” of The Creator’s will and purpose.
Maybe, just maybe, we should consult with Him about our bubble.
As I was saying... 