Scars

My dad’s favorite movie of all-time is Jaws. The movie that created fear of sharks and swimming in the ocean in the hearts of thousands of people. Triggered by the infamous “Jaws music” this 1975 movie was a true horror classic. Today, we just laugh at the mechanical shark, even as he consumes our beloved Quint near the end of the film.

If you remember, there is a scene in which Quint, Hooper, and Chief Brody are sharing stories below the deck as they wait for the shark to draw near. Quint shows off a fake tooth and a big lump on his head. Hooper responds with a scar from a moray eel. Quint escalates it with an arm wrestling injury. Hooper shows his leg with a mark from a bull shark, not to be outdone by Quint’s leg which bears the scar of a thresher shark. Hooper then mic-drops with the “crème de la crème.” He opens his shirt to reveal his bare chest. “Mary Ellen Moffit, she broke my heart!”

Quint silences the guffawing laughter by revealing a scar from a tattoo that he had removed. It was the USS Indianapolis, the ship that went down in shark infested waters in 1945. If you want to know more about this story, I would encourage you to look it up. It’s fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

But, what can we learn from these three men on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, hunting a shark? Scars tell stories. Each and every one of them.

Lately at Family of God, our numbers have gone down. While it has been very discouraging, this is not a new thing in the midst of a global crisis. And so, Pastor Hill and I have become much more intentional with our prayers. We have specifically prayed that God would lead some folks back to Family of God. Maybe not all at once, but one at a time (hopefully this sounds familiar). And on Wednesday, Josh came back.

Josh had just finished 30 days in treatment and was back for his last meal at Family of God. After he ate with one of his friends, he came over to us and said his goodbyes. He was moving over an hour away, with a friend that would keep him accountable. Through tearful eyes, he proceeded to thank us for clothing him, protecting him, feeding him, caring for him, and loving him. According to Josh, he had never experienced love in the way he had at Family of God. Praise to our Lord for that.

Josh continued to talk to us about his previous addiction. He had been in and out of prison, active and recovering from drug use. Josh was clean and out of prison 3 and a half years ago until he was hit by a car. Like many opioid addicts, after running out of his prescription pills he turned to fentanyl. For the next three years, his life was consumed by the drug. He watched his friends die, his co-users die, one by one. Each time, he had their name tattooed on his arms. Wednesday night, Josh showed us 37 names on his arms.

“I want to be clean for them. I want to make something of my life for them.”

Each one of these names tells a story and means something different for Josh. He then pointed us to the other tattoos on his arms. A regal lion crowned with majesty on his right arm, and our crucified Lord Jesus on his left. Josh knows where his strength comes from. These marks on his arms tell his story of redemption. Of the one who can truly deliver from addiction.

The Lion of Judah who becomes the Lamb that was slain for Josh’s sins and for yours too. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world bears the scars and the marks of brutal crucifixion which he willingly surrendered to. Jesus drinks the cup of judgment and wrath and pours out his blood for us. And we continue to look at the scars in his wrists, his back, his feet, his crown of thorns, and his side which tell of the greatest event in history: the Godman giving his life for us, swallowing up death forever, clothing us with his righteousness, giving us new life in him.

And with Josh we praise God knowing that by His grace through the gift of faith, our names are not only written on his body, but are written in the book of life forever.