No Cover? No Way

I had a great evening in the French Quarter. I enjoyed the historical
aspect of the place. I've always been interested in old architecture and
other cultures. The French Quarter reminded me of the small towns I
visited in Europe years ago while backpacking across the continent.

But the French Quarter is different. I have to say I was struck by the
carnality of it all. On the way to dinner at the Gumbo Shop on St.
Peters I walked down Bourbon Street. What a crazy place. Earlier in the
day I had chatted with a Police officer about the district and he gave
me a quick overview of the place. "There will be a lot of folks
drinking. That's what people do here" he said. Well, Bourbon Street was
full of folks doing just that. It was not a street I would recommend
taking small children through. In fact, I wouldn't recommend taking
anyone through it. Bourbon Street reminded me of the scene in Its A
Wonderful Life when he walks through Pottersville as it would have been
had he never had been born. Neon lights shouted out offering everything
from Adult bookstores, bars, and strip clubs. It was sad. At one point,
one of the hustlers outside a strip club shouted across the street to me
"No cover!" to which I replied "No way..."

It is a reminder to me that without a real relationship with Jesus
Christ, you have nothing. I was struck by the emptiness in the faces of
the folks I saw there on Bourbon Street. And I was filled with
gratefulness for all God has done in my life, to fill me with his love
and his presence, to change me, to bring me into a real relationship
with him, so that it becomes easy to say "No cover, no way." But hear me
here, I see that same emptiness in the faces of folks sitting in the
pews of the churches I minister in every weekend. You can be religious
without a real relationship with God. Going to church can become just
another attempt to cover up the emptiness in your heart. God intended
for so much more. He offers life. He offers a life that is full, that
meets you with his presence in the midst of your situation.

So today, remember that it is all about a real relationship with God.
There is nothing this world offers that can substitute for that. Go for it!