2 Corinthians 5:20  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us:  “Be reconciled to God!”

This past Saturday Justin, Katelyn (10 years old) and I were running some errands when I noticed that our minivan was almost out of fuel. When we stopped at a local Exxon to get some gas, I observed that it had been a while since the van had been washed- road salt and splash from the last snow event had made it a mess.  So at the gas pump’s prompting, I added an express wash (which reduced my gas price by 20 cents a gallon, YEA!) and then we proceeded around the side of the gas station to the drive-through carwash.

Now, I’ve used these drive-through washes for years, and I know that they can be notoriously hard on vehicles, especially accessories like exterior mirrors and antennas.  For the last several years I’ve kept a small crescent wrench in my glove compartment so that I can easily remove the antenna before I enter a carwash.  While we were waiting in line at the carwash, Katelyn got the wrench and unscrewed the antenna from the van.  As soon as she pulled the antenna out of its socket the radio reception went to static and we could no longer hear the music on WGTS.  The kids were fascinated by this. When they placed the antenna in or near the receptacle they could hear the radio, but as they moved the antenna away the music faded away.

I explained to them how radio waves were all around us- sent out by radio stations all over the region.   An antenna is a little metal stick that catches the radio waves out of the air, they flow down the metal, roll into the radio receiver and then the radio then turns them back into sound.  Without an antenna to catch and concentrate the waves the radio can’t pick up the music- it’s just not strong enough.  It was a dreadfully unscientific explanation, but seemed to satisfy two 10 year olds.

Then inspiration struck.  I said, “Did you know that your body works as an antenna too?”  At my instruction Justin reached out the window and touched the empty receptacle with his finger- the music played loud as his finger touched the contact and faded away as he pulled it away.  For the next 10 minutes, as we waited to wash the van, we experimented with different radio frequencies and body positions to see how it affected the radio.

As I drove home with the kids we talked about how God is like that.  He is all around us and we are enfolded in his love and grace. But Christians have a special privilege of catching that love, concentrating it and transmitting it so that others can see, hear or experience God through us.  We are antennas for God’s love in this world.  As I shared this with the kids an old hymn from my youth came to my mind- Channels Only:

How I praise Thee, precious Savior,  

That Thy love laid hold of me;

Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me,  

That I might Thy channel be.

Channels only, blessed Master,  

But with all Thy wondrous power

Flowing through us,

Thou canst use us

Every day and every hour.

Let’s be a channel of God’s love to others this week.