Beyond Z

I stood at the used book sale table loaded with children’s books. In my hands was a Dr. Seuss book I had never seen before. I flipped open the first page and began reading.

And kept going. Never has a children’s book stopped me in my tracks. I read the whole thing right then and there. What was this life-changing book? None other than On Beyond Zebra! A young boy has learned his whole alphabet, from A for ape to Z for zebra. He is proud and boasts to an older boy that he knows all there is to know now: “So now I know everything anyone knows from beginning to end. From the start to the close. Because Z is as far as the alphabet goes.”

The older boy picks up the chalk and writes one letter more, one the small boy had never seen before, and says, “You can stop, if you want, with the Z because most people stop with the Z, but not me! In the places I go there are things that I see that I never could spell if I stopped with the Z. I’m telling you this because you’re one of my friends. My alphabet starts where your alphabet ends!”

There are many “alphabets” we are living within. We constrain ourselves to only what we know, to only what we think is possible. But what if there is something beyond Z? What if there is more out there than we ever thought possible? What if the things we think are clearly defined are just arbitrary limitations we have imposed on ourselves?

What if there is something beyond Z?

Beyond Z with David

David was a shepherd boy, the youngest of his brothers. In his time, that was all he expected from life. He wasn’t from the royal family, becoming the king of Israel was as far beyond Z as you could get. But God had other plans, the prophet Samuel arrived and anointed him as the future king. In the span of minutes, David’s life had rocketed out beyond Z (1 Sam. 16).

There was a problem, though. Israel already had a king named Saul. David couldn’t see a way to get to the palace, much less take the throne. Then Saul called for a harp player to soothe his tortured soul. David just happened to be a wonderful harpist and was called to the palace to serve the king.

David goes from playing S for sheep to beyond Z and playing for the king himself.

Beyond Z with Jesus

Jesus came to earth to teach us that there is more beyond Z. He challenged the old rules, the old ways of thinking, in favor of a new life. Paul explained this to the Romans:

So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. (Rom. 7:4-6 NLT)

Jesus opened the end of the alphabet and taught us that there is more to the world than we once knew. The mystery and beauty of our Christian faith is that there is no end. We will never come to the end of our faith journey; there will always be more to learn, more to experience. What we currently define as a “life of faith” is only A for Abraham to Z for Zechariah. What if there is more? What lies beyond Zechariah? What lies beyond small group Bible studies and Sunday morning worship services?

In this season of uncertainty and upheaval, many faith communities are struggling to define themselves. If they can no longer meet in person, hold vacation bible schools, have coffee before or after worship, who are they? Who are we?

We Must Go Beyond Z

During this time when so much in our lives has changed, we must go beyond Z, both personally and as the body of Christ here on earth.

Dr. Seuss concludes his wonderful book with these words: “I led him around and I tried hard to show there are things beyond Z that most people don’t know. I took him past Zebra. As far as I could. And I think, perhaps, maybe I did him some good . . . Because, finally, he said: ‘This is really great stuff! And I guess the old alphabet ISN’T enough!’”

Jesus came to do the same for us. He came to pull back the curtain at Z and show us a whole new alphabet of living.

And here is the secret: once we step past Z, it gets easier and easier to keep going. Onward, friends! On beyond Z!

Annie Carlson is rooted like a turnip to the plains of North Dakota where she raises great food, large numbers of farm animals, and three free-range kids with her husband. You can find her with either a book or knitting needles in her hands as she dreams up her next adventure.

Photograph © Şahin Sezer Dinçer, used with permission