I am not too sure everyone remembers this famous painting on the left that shows Jesus standing at a doorway in a garden, patiently knocking on the door? It's usually understood as picturing Christ's asking admission into our hearts. But for many of us, our surrender to Christ came not because he gently asked permission to come into our lives. It was more like he kicked the door in and entered like an intruder, commandeering space and making it clear that he was taking over, at least for a while. Eventually we made a choice about whether or not to let him remain, but, initially, our defenses were overwhelmed.
