“Give ‘er Another Go, No Charge”

Many years ago, I was at a Lumberjack competition in Musquodoboit. I wasn’t a competitor, just a spectator. There was chopping and splitting competitions, as well as tree climbing, axe throwing and (of course) log rolling. Between competitions there was the opportunity for the spectators to try their hand at the various games. Despite the encouragement from my friends, I chose not to attempt log rolling. After all, I had but one pair of pants and I knew they’d be soaked rather quickly.

The sign read, “2 bits” for three tries at axe throwing. That was the thing I wanted to try and knowing that 2-bits was 25 cents I could afford it too.

I handed the man my 2-bits and I was given three axes and a rather garbled set of instructions, of which I only heard the word, “careful.” Being a cautions sort of person anyway, it was perhaps the only instruction I didn’t need.

Three throws, three misses. I fully admit that none were even close. The man said, and this time I understood his garbled words, “perhaps we should have warned the whole camp.”

Then he looked at me and said, “Give ‘er another go, no charge.”

He repeated the instructions and I listened more carefully. Three throws, three hits, one of which was a bull’s eye.

Etymologically speaking, the word “sin” is derived from a word that means, “to miss the mark.” It is a comfort to know that God forgives and places our sin out of sight, out of mind. When we sin God says, “Give ‘er another go, no charge.” God frees us from sin and the accompanying guilt. Freeing us to love and encourage others to love too.

I think that this Good News is what causes such great joy in Paul and why he so enthusiastically spreads the Gospel. In Ephesians (3:8) Paul writes, “Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ…”