Austins in Thailand

This is a great story:

In the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand long ago, an invading army approached the gates of the city ready to make war. But before the war began the king of Chiang Mai and the king of the opposing army met and agreed to a contest to decide the fate of the city. Each army would chose a champion to dive into the water of the moat. The man who stayed under longest would decide the outcome of the imposing war.

The two men dove into the water.

The invading army lost the contest.

The man from Chiang Mai never surfaced.

He had tied himself to a branch deep in the water. He gave his life to save his people.

C.S. Lewis writes that the incarnation of Jesus is like a diver who dives into the water, finds a great prize, then surfaces with this prize. The prize is us. The water is this mortal life. Unlike the great man who gave his life for this people in Chiang Mai, Jesus rose again victorious.

God’s grace and love permeates everything. There are stories everywhere that point the way.