Misguided Swallow

In the movie "What About Bob?", Bob could come up with millions of ways the world could come crashing in on him every minute of every day. Destruction and chaos plague his thoughts so much that even going outside is a challenge. Touching a door knob could bring upon the plague, or someone sneezing three blocks away could send tiny particles of disease his direction, via an innocent breeze.

But do you ever stop to think about how much you really are protected from... whatever? I was driving when the thought hit me that I am protected from things I am not even aware of. This very day, there could have been an asteroid billions of light years away headed straight at my car, and through some divine cosmic shield, the asteroid eroded into a grain of sand by the time it reached me. And since cars are driven by humans, any number of collisions could occur at any moment that squish me under my dash. My roof could cave in. My hair could catch on fire. I could get chocked on a misguided swallow of water.

If we believe that God is sovereign, (in charge of everything), over time it is easy to "not see" all the things we are protected from. Sort of like we are wrapped in this warm blanket of love as we wonder through this world of mystery. Romans 8:36, Paul writes, "For your sake we face death all day long;... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us."

After a while of thinking on how protected you really are from things you cannot see, you begin to realize something beautiful. Maybe you really matter a great deal after all.

Learner's Playground

In a recent post by Donald Miller, he questions why the Church has been led by scholars, and why a church gathering is more of an educational setting than it is anything. I'm all for learning. I have an AA, a BA, and an MA from Southern Seminary. However, Miller makes a great point with his questions. When we look at Jesus, sure he taught his disciples, but he taught them through doing. When we see him actually giving a lesson, it's all in metaphor (parable), and directed to those who claimed to KNOW God the most. Only once did he explain a parable to his closest followers.

In what is known as "The Great Commission", Jesus says to his disciples, "Go make more disciples...". The greek word used for "disciples" is manthos or manthetes, meaning "Learner". Maybe we have misinterpreted manthos to mean "scholar." Learning requires more than books, a lecture, and a classroom, and to grow in Christ doesn't primarily mean to study more. Learning first requires openness, and openness is enough to take you very far in absorbing this way Jesus invites us to. The Bible is not a compass for life. It is a collection of divinely inspired writings. We shouldn't worship a book that points us to worship it's author.

If you are open, then you have enough to grow in Christ. Let the world be your classroom and let life teach you today of the wonders of God. Then go play and dance like a child in the wonder of a yard full of sprinklers.

Zealot Soup

"So Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who organized a Koran burning on March 20, wanted “to stir the pot.” Mission accomplished. Perhaps he’d care to explain himself to the family of Joakim Dungel, a 33-year-old Swede slaughtered at the U.N. mission in Mazar-i-Sharif by Afghans whipped into frenzy through Jones’s folly." - (New York Times, Opinion Page author Roger Cohen)

Roger's article is focusing the microscope on current zealot behavior in our world, specifically Islamaphobia. Terry Jones may be a zealot, but a zealot isn't anything new. At least one of Jesus' own disciples was known to be a Zealot, Simon, (not Simon Peter). 1st Century Jews were governed by pagan Romans, and the Zealots were a small underground insurgent group who believed the sword was the way to topple the evil pagan Roman government that oppressed them. Josephus marks the Zealots as the leaders who incited the Great jewish Revolt in 66AD.

Now imagine walking with Jesus during a time of government oppression, and this Jesus keeps talking about a "coming kingdom". A kingdom where things are as they should be, without oppression. And let's say you were familiar with the Zealots and their hope of one day creating a "new kingdom". Except you were taught, as many were, that the only way to achieve this will be through force or violence. Then this Jesus, keeps talking about getting closer and closer to time when "all things will be fulfilled." Your hopes of a coming new kingdom was getting close. But your vision of a coming Kingdom looked more like a crushed Rome.

Then one night while you were asleep in a garden, this Jesus, the friend you have been following, allows himself to be arrested. Now a Zealot's first reaction would be to draw a sword. So, you draw yours and take a swing at one of the guards' heads, miss, but managed to hack off an ear from one of the arresting guards. You immediately believe what you have been hearing about for three years is finally taking place. The takeover has begun. Then your friend Jesus picks the ear up and restores it. Just as he is hauled off in chains, he says something to you about living by the sword and dying by it. This would be a very confusing moment for you.

All this time, you were thinking Jesus was at any moment going to call in the troops. Instead of a sword, this Jesus chose to use a cross to usher in His new kingdom. Instead of killing, he chose to lay down his life willingly.

At this moment, you would have a difficult time with your emotions. If it was that easy for them to arrest your leader, then you would certainly want to be careful about letting anyone know you were involved with this man. Three times you are asked, and three times you deny any involvement. A hurried depression sinks in when you realize that you may possibly live under an oppressive government for the rest of your life. The only skirmish you took part in was spoiled by your leader taking the side of his own captors immediate healing. This was a confusing night out with the boys.

The good news of Jesus' Kingdom is also good news for those who oppose it. But, Jesus refused to go the way of the empire. He didn't go the way of the sword. He didn't invite his followers to choose a side and take up arms to protect it. Just as he didn't side with the other three groups, (Essenes, Pharisees, and Saducees) he didn't side with the Zealots either.

Instead, Jesus picks up a cup and some bread and says, "When you remember me", break yourself and pour yourself out for others. This is the way of the Kingdom of Heaven."

Who's Dumping On You?

Is it possible to show grace to someone truly in need of grace?

Don't pass this off as another post about caring for the homeless, disabled, the widow, orphan, or the poor. Grace really isn't for them. At least not in this sense.

I'm not referring to the grace God gives to every human being, whether it is received or not. I am referring to the challenge of "US" showing one another grace. I am writing about that person in your life that refuses to see you as a person, viewing only your parts, or those folks who are tearing you apart. Get a picture in your mind of the person in your life who has dumped on you more than a bird house shingle. Yes. That person. How do you show that dirty a-hole grace?

I don't recall where I read or heard this, but I remember "grace" described this way...

If someone breaks into your home and brutally murders a loved one of yours, you have the following options.

1. Grab a gun and do the same to them. That's called revenge

2. Call the police and have them arrested. That's justice

3. Tell that person you forgive them (wish them well) but you never want to see them again the rest of your life. That is mercy

or...

After forgiving that person, you tell them, "I want to take care of you for the rest of your life."

That is grace

I think most would agree that our knee jerk reaction to this scenario is #1 or #2. Maybe #3, but certainly not #4. This is why I believe that we cannot show grace to the person that requires it the most, without God actually doing it through us. I would go as far to say that grace is the ultimate proof that the life-changing love of God is a reality in the center of our being. We cannot pull off #4 in our own power. Something divine must be swirling within us.

So who is it that requires the most grace from you?

Who's dumping on you?

Hearing the Cry

In a thousand common expression typed into Google each day, it reads, "Will somebody please love me."

It's a cry.

For love.

John writes in his letters about love, and how love is a reality that can reside within us. And, "if we say that we believe in God, but don't have love, then we are liars."

So, what is the test to prove whether or not I have this God in my life? Is it that I prayed a sinners prayer once? That I was baptized or joined a church? Is it because I am committed to my family, or that I want to serve my community? Is it because I run from this temptation or that? Are these these the test that prove God exists in my life?

In Exodus 3, God "hears the cry" of his people and rescues them. He leads them out of oppression to a place called Mt. Sinai and gives them an identity and a purpose to ALSO begin to hear the cry of others who are oppressed, hurt, broken, lonely, enslaved, and lost. But not just hear the cry, instead, to actively rescue others who are crying.

Sadly, today Church is described in terms of doctrine, and Christians identified by what we believe. However, the test for people who claim to follow Jesus will always be love. Jesus said, "They will know you by your ... LOVE." Not our beliefs on eschatology, dispensationalism, or any number of doctrinal dogmas.

If there is a test to prove that God exists, and that he resides within me, it's "love."

And love shapes us in such a way, that we can't help but listen for the Cry.

A contemporary theologian once said, "You got to let Love Rule!!" - Lenny Kravits

If I had words to share with kids, it is the words of Jesus saying, "Do Not Fear." Life was never meant to be lived out in fear, obligation, shame, or guilt. We were created to fly, not crawl. The Psalmist writes, "Your works are beautiful. I know this fully." Jesus gave a very harsh and nasty warning to those who chose to lead a kid astray into this world of shame. He described it as death by drowning with a large rock around your neck.

The key here is that if you were made to do things as a child through obligation, fear, shame, or guilt, please find healing of those wounds that may run so deep. Otherwise, you will pass that nugget on to your kids. And if you choose not to find healing... please stay away from my kids. I want mine to fly.