One of my favorite nightly fatherly rituals is to spend time reading from a children’s Bible with my younger girls. Leaning back with an extra pillow propped under my head, a girl under each arm and the Bible resting on my chest, we nestle in for a regular journey into the lives of those who lived during biblical times. Colorful artwork of Bible characters provide vivid images that make the stories come alive.
During a recent story time, we read how people were often excited to see Jesus visiting their town. On one occasion as Jesus entered a city, the townspeople cried out, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” They were obviously very excited that Jesus had come their way.
Hosanna is a big word for a 5 year old. Curious about the meaning, my youngest daughter inquired, “Daddy, what does Hosanna mean?” Being the high-tech daddy I am, I reached for my cell phone to look up the meaning of Hosanna on the Internet.
With a puzzled look on her face my daughter asked, “Daddy, are you calling Jesus? Does Jesus have a cell phone?” Forgetting how odd it must seem to a small girl that her dad would be looking up the definition for a word on his cell phone, I wondered how she could conclude that Jesus would carry a cell phone. Signs of the times I suppose. Cell phones didn’t even exist when I was her age. Now kids think everyone has one, even Jesus!
Her question got me to thinking. What if Jesus did carry a cell phone? Would He use an iPhone? If He did, it would be cool. I would definitely add Him to my family and friends plan.
At first, the thought of Jesus carrying an iPhone seemed to make Him more accessible. Can you imagine sitting in a business meeting texting a prayer request to Jesus? Or, how convenient to be stuck in traffic, pick up your cell phone, give Jesus a buzz and ask Him how things looked from His perspective. The phone call might sound something like this, “Hey, Jesus. This is Ray. Should I get off at the next exit or just stay in the lane I’m currently in?” Now that would be cool.
The more I think about it, God is the real high-tech daddy. He doesn’t need a cell phone. He was high tech before high tech was cool. From His perspective, cell phones are obsolete. Who needs a cell phone to talk to God when you can call on God anytime, anywhere? We are never out of network and don’t have to worry about roaming charges. Worrying about dead batteries and how many cell tower bars we have on our screen is not an issue. God doesn’t have operators standing by or a phone bank of angels taking His calls. No, God doesn’t even have a receptionist. He answers our calls 24/7. God is always ready, always able and always on call. He may not have a cell phone, but He hears us when we call on His name. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna to the King!
