students of jesus

Once there was a man who lived a life guided by a checklist. He did not always fulfill each item each day, but each and every day the checklist was his guide. All day long, eyes down, he navigated his life according to the inspired advice on the list. The man gained great wealth, and even some reputation among the people of his town, but at the end of his life he was no wiser than at the beginning, because the checklist was not enough. The checklist was his only friend, and he died alone.

Is there anything more handy than a checklist?

The original checklist was ten items long. Eventually it grew to 613. No checklist provides the desires of our hearts, but we cling to our checklists because we like to think they hold the secrets of life itself. We refine the lists, prioritize the lists, interpret our lists, and look down on other people’s lists. We claim to have special insight into the most important items on the list.

Whether God’s Old People or New, it’s so much easier for us to keep our eyes on the clipboard. Give to the poor? Check. Relax one day a week? Check. Sacrifice? Pray? Memorize? Check. Check. Check. The checkmarks fall into a neat line from top to bottom. We start a new page each day. We smile at the winning streaks we piece together, unaware we have won the wrong game.

We like checklists because is it easier to relate to a book of rules than to relate to a living person. Checklists are unchanging and accessible. People are filled with mystery. Checklists are clear and unequivocal. Checklists make plain statements and tell us what to do. People—even perfect people—present nonverbal hints and clues. People are hard to read, but they yield rewards we have never imagined. If we successfully keep a checklist, we have ourselves to thank. If we get to know a person, we discover a world beyond ourselves.

A question, what if we live our lives according the the master checklist, but never meet the Master himself?