Reflections from a Rose Parade Float Rider
 Lutheran Hour Ministries' executive director Bruce Wurdeman represented LHM on The Lutheran Hour® float in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. Every float rider comes away from the experience with a unique and lasting impression; Bruce shares his in the vignette that follows.
It was dark at 5:30 in the morning—even on the west coast. But God doesn't need much light to get His work done. While the ride on The Lutheran Hour float is a phenomenal experience—I rode the float in 2002 and again this year—what happened between 5:30 and 8:00 a.m. on January 1, 2010 before the parade even started was what surprised me most this year. All of the floats were lined up on Orange Grove Boulevard and while it was still dark, they came: people who may or may not be planning to watch the parade strolled down Orange Grove during those early morning hours to survey this year's crop of floats.
The Lutheran Hour float this year was a bit more complicated than usual; it proclaimed both Law and Gospel. Apparently the symbolism and the sheer beauty of the float (and it was a beautiful float!) combined with the sight of eight riders clad in purple robes was more than the average early morning walker could handle. As curiosities were piqued, both cameras and questions came out. People wanted to pose with us purple-clad priests as their friends took their pictures.
But, more importantly, many of those taking that early morning stroll down Orange Grove wanted explanations for the Christian symbolism on the float, and we were eager to give them what they wanted. We explained that the cross was in front of the Ten Commandments because Jesus took our failures to keep those commandments upon Himself when He went to the cross. We explained also that the Ark of the Covenant, which was so prominent on the float, symbolized God's presence for the people of the Old Testament, and that today, God is present with us in Jesus and in the working of the Holy Spirit. And we explained that the rays symbolizing Jesus' resurrection are also a confirmation that, because He paid the price for our sin, everyone who believes will one day rise, too, and live with Him forever.
The Lutheran Hour's 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade float provided a witness of the Law and the Gospel to a parade route audience of some 1.2 million people, as well as to a vast television audience of 400 million viewers around the world. But what I remember most and best from riding the 2010 float will be those conversations as the sun rose over Pasadena—those more extended conversations that allowed me to use the float to point people to Jesus.
* Photo supplied by Edi Metcalf
|
