Honey on our lips

I think I've found my favorite InterVarsity job: pouring honey all over students' hands.

I was privileged to assist Whitman's team leader Sarah Le as she taught our student leaders the value of studying scripture. 23 students from 4 campuses came through the lesson in two groups. My job was to create the experience of honey dripping from their hands.

Sounds like a strangely sweet experience? It was and that was the point. Sarah hoped to create a memorable, sensory experience for students about the joy of scripture. She used an illustration from ancient Hebrew classes that when young students came for their first lesson, the teacher would pour honey all over their clean slates. These 6 year old students would gaze wide-eyed at the greatest treat they could image and their teachers would say, "Taste it." And then, the teacher would tell them that the word of God is like honey.

The greatest treat you can imagine.

And so, we re-created this by pouring honey all over students' hands. Students didn't know what to do. They were confused and uncomfortable by the sticky mess in their hands. They weren't sure if they should 'taste it.' Was Sarah playing some sort of a trick on them? Clearly, this wasn't what they were expecting.

The we read in Matthew 13

 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

As we studied scripture together (after letting them clean off their hands) these were the types of responses that came out:
"The Kingdom of Heaven is worth everything you have."
"Finding the Kingdom of Heave is like a hitting a re-start button."
"The word of God is like a pearl. As we pursue it, we see it with the depth and fullness it contains."

And Sarah summarized our session with, "Do you expect that scripture will be a treasure that is worth everything?"

Will it be like honey on your lips? Will you lead others with the expectation that they will experience the sweetest of God? May this be the greatest treat you have to offer to your friends?

I hope so.