A lot of us aren’t
living the kind of life we were made to live.
In our rare moments of clear self-awareness, when the fog of confusion
lifts and the clouds of illusion melt, we can see the distance between who we
are and who we’re meant to be.
living the kind of life we were made to live.
In our rare moments of clear self-awareness, when the fog of confusion
lifts and the clouds of illusion melt, we can see the distance between who we
are and who we’re meant to be.
The good
news is that we don’t have to settle for the way things are. Love and joy can flow in us just as surely as
blood courses through our veins; the spirit of Jesus can stream into every part
of who we are, and make us fully and wondrously alive.
news is that we don’t have to settle for the way things are. Love and joy can flow in us just as surely as
blood courses through our veins; the spirit of Jesus can stream into every part
of who we are, and make us fully and wondrously alive.
Ironically, some
of the people most drawn to Jesus seem most distant from the kind of life he
promises and they most want. They’ve
tried hard to do everything they thought he asked them to do; in fact, some of
the have tried so hard that there isn’t much of them left. They’re exhausted and empty.
of the people most drawn to Jesus seem most distant from the kind of life he
promises and they most want. They’ve
tried hard to do everything they thought he asked them to do; in fact, some of
the have tried so hard that there isn’t much of them left. They’re exhausted and empty.
Here’s the problem: a lot of us are working very hard at things Jesus
didn’t actually ask us to do—at least not in the way we’re doing them. In other words, I think we are laboring under
a serous misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian.
didn’t actually ask us to do—at least not in the way we’re doing them. In other words, I think we are laboring under
a serous misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian.
Being Christian is about a living and loving relationship with Jesus. But, instead of a relationship with Jesus,
some of us have a list of “dos and don’ts” which we mistakenly believe describe
and define a Christian’s identity. So,
for us being Christian is mostly about meeting a set of expectations,
shouldering a load of demands, and measuring up to certain standards. Things like:
some of us have a list of “dos and don’ts” which we mistakenly believe describe
and define a Christian’s identity. So,
for us being Christian is mostly about meeting a set of expectations,
shouldering a load of demands, and measuring up to certain standards. Things like:
Obey the Ten Commandments.
Read the Bible.
Pray.
Tithe—or feel appropriately guilty for not
tithing.
tithing.
Show up for Sunday School and worship.
Say “yes” when asked to serve.
“Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you.”
unto you.”
Ignore your dreams and desires; suppress
your anger; shut down your imagination.
your anger; shut down your imagination.
Never look bored or even admit to yourself
that you are bored.
that you are bored.
Don’t ask your hardest questions or express
your deepest doubts.
your deepest doubts.
Hide your vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and
fears.
fears.
Be unfailingly nice.
Smile.
Some of these things are such a load of nonsense. They are denials of our God-given humanity
and distortions of what it means to be a friend of Jesus. Our dreams and desires, especially our dreams
and desires for love, beauty, and mystery will, if we follow them all the way
to their source, lead us to God, not away from God.
and distortions of what it means to be a friend of Jesus. Our dreams and desires, especially our dreams
and desires for love, beauty, and mystery will, if we follow them all the way
to their source, lead us to God, not away from God.
Imagination is a gift which makes hope and prayer possible; it is the
capacity to see what might be.
capacity to see what might be.
Our anger can be converted to energy for making things right in the world
and in us. If we can’t get angry about
injustice and oppression, it’s likely that we can’t love either.
and in us. If we can’t get angry about
injustice and oppression, it’s likely that we can’t love either.
Boredom, like pain, is a warning to us that something is drastically
wrong with our understanding of God. If
we can make the Artist who fashioned creation boring, and if we can make the
adventure of following Jesus dull, then we have truly lost our way. Boredom
begs us to get lost, instead, in wonder love and praise.
wrong with our understanding of God. If
we can make the Artist who fashioned creation boring, and if we can make the
adventure of following Jesus dull, then we have truly lost our way. Boredom
begs us to get lost, instead, in wonder love and praise.
Doubt is part of real faith, not its opposite. Questions are doorways into truth. Vulnerability, weakness and fear are openings
through which love comes to us—the love of God and the love of friends.
through which love comes to us—the love of God and the love of friends.
So some of the things we think make a Christian a Christian are just
nonsense. They might make us stoics or
gnostics, but not Christians.
nonsense. They might make us stoics or
gnostics, but not Christians.
And, some of these things are right and good but only if they are part of
relationship with Jesus. Otherwise, they
are heavy burdens. Apart from a
relationship with him, things like worship, Bible study, prayer, and serving
others are just one more set of obligations to fit into an already overcrowded
life. They become part of a long list of
things we think we should do but don’t.
Being Christian becomes a matter of failing, falling short,
recommitting, trying again and trying harder, and failing again.
relationship with Jesus. Otherwise, they
are heavy burdens. Apart from a
relationship with him, things like worship, Bible study, prayer, and serving
others are just one more set of obligations to fit into an already overcrowded
life. They become part of a long list of
things we think we should do but don’t.
Being Christian becomes a matter of failing, falling short,
recommitting, trying again and trying harder, and failing again.
Being a
Christian is about being and being loved before it is about doing and duty. It’s about a
relationship, far more than about rules.
Or, more accurately, it’s a relationship in which the rules are freeing
more than they are regulating, because they are the rules of love: love God,
love one another, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Christian is about being and being loved before it is about doing and duty. It’s about a
relationship, far more than about rules.
Or, more accurately, it’s a relationship in which the rules are freeing
more than they are regulating, because they are the rules of love: love God,
love one another, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Christianity is not a matter of doing and not doing certain things; it’s not
about still another set of expectations to meet, demands to shoulder and roles
to play. Christianity is a living and
loving relationship with Jesus, who pours his life into ours and fills us with
his love and joy.
about still another set of expectations to meet, demands to shoulder and roles
to play. Christianity is a living and
loving relationship with Jesus, who pours his life into ours and fills us with
his love and joy.
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