The Vine-covered Arch

The Tail of the   

VINE-COVERED ARCH

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A story is told of an arch that stood over the doorway of an old chapel.  The inscription on the arch read, “We Preach Christ Crucified.”  For that is what they did.  Over the years, beautiful vines grow up the arch.

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No one was concerned when the foliage eventually covered the word “crucified.”  By that time, the redemptive necessity of Christ’s death on a cross was less important than the moral virtues expressed in Christ’s life.  After all, they remained faithful to the message that read, “We Preach Christ.”

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Eventually, the lush vines obscured all but the words, “We Preach.”  However, the church didn’t mind, because they had long since grown weary of the “does and don’ts” of the ethical teachings of a cross-less Christ, and now preached civic obedience, self-reliance, moral armament, financial prosperity, cultural superiority, and  national exceptionalism, achieved through political reform.

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That is where the story ends, but the vine is still growing.  That is fine, I suppose, because a vine-covered arch looks perfect over the doorway of an old chapel that houses a political action headquarters.