Edited by author 07-09-2005 01:04 PM
The Scriptures are full of them, of course. But beyond the Scriptures there are many. I especially like the Hound of Heaven (God as persistent hound on our trail)poem by Francis Thompson. While not especially warm and personal, it does capture God's initiative.

God as jilted/wounded lover is another. He is jilted enough to cry over us as Jesus did over Jerusalem.

There is God/Jesus as EMT (emergency medical technician). He has come to our house to save us from a medical condition that warrants immediate aid. He knocks on the door but won't kick it in, he patiently waits for a response.

Metaphorical thinking is essential to a contentualized Gospel. Sometimes the best way to train in evangelism is not to train in technique, but rather in thinking, metaphorcial thinking. Once a person knows how to recognize and develop metaphors, he or she can adapt the message to any culture or person (see Don Richhardson's Redemptive Analogues).

Randy D. Raysbrook
RRaysbrook@adelphia.net