INCONGRUITY!

Nope. Not Photoshopped in. Not cut-and-pasted. No manipulation of any kind, manual or computerized (except, of course, for the superimposition of the honorable and honest visage of yours faithfully). That was a picture I took at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney a few months ago. This idyllic animal house, home to over 2,500 denizens on 50 acres, is one of the largest zoos in the world. It’s only a few deep puddles (in the Sydney Harbor) away from downtown Sydney; the “shells” of the Opera House are visible behind the camelopard’s neck—in fact, one pleasant way to get to the Zoo is by boat (see here). So if you are in the right place in the Zoo at the right time, camera poised and ready, many an incongruous shot is yours for the taking.

A giraffe in downtown!

Or as they might say here in Texas, “a turtle on a fencepost.”

Incongruity! No way either beast could have gotten to its destination on its own—not those destinations anyway. Impossible. Downtown or on top of a fencepost. Out of place. Totally. Somebody must have done it to them.

Me, too—incongruity par excellence!

For believers in Jesus Christ also are an incongruous bunch. Indeed, the Bible says they no longer are in the kingdom of darkness but dwell in the kingdom of light.

For He rescued us
from the domain of darkness,
and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son.
Colossians 1:13

Because—simply because—we have been forgiven:

… in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:14

Why incongruous? Because once …

… you were dead
in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked …,
and were by nature
children of wrath ….
Ephesians 2:1–3

Destined, then, for the wrath of a holy God who cannot look upon sin. That was once. But now …

… God, being rich in mercy,
because of His great love
with which He loved us,
even when we were dead
in our transgressions,
made us alive ….
Ephesians 2:4–5

The incongruity of it all! How could this happen? Why did this happen? What prompted God to do what He did?

For by grace you have been saved
through faith;
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8

God’s grace alone—nothing we thought, nothing we said, nothing we did.

… not as a result of works ….
Ephesians 2:9

God’s amazing grace in the giving of His Son to pay the price for our sins.

But God demonstrates
His own love toward us,
in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

And those who have believed in the life, death, resurrection, and atoning work of Jesus Christ, are now these incongruous ones, the result of God’s love, God’s grace, God’s sovereign choice.

But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
… so that you may proclaim
the excellencies of Him
who has called you
out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Incongruous, indeed.

What is man
that You take thought of him,
and the son of man
that You care for him?
Yet …You crown him
with glory and majesty!
Psalm 8:4–5

Yes, upon, and through, these incongruous ones, God has demonstrated His love, His grace, His choice.

I, for one, am thankful.

We, the incongruous, can only say in praise …

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name
in all the earth!
Psalm 8:9

Amen!