August 6th 2007

Painful Separation

Read 1 John 2:15-17 (Short Passage so read a few times)

"Do not love the world or anything in the world."

Having taken a bit of time off from writing, I find myself sitting in front of my computer on the first day of recovered normalcy for my family in weeks. We have taken the same journey of busyness, trips, camps, vacation, conferences, family visits and so on and so forth that many others have taken this summer and now we will spend the next several days attempting to restore some sort of routine to our lives. Although I haven't been writing, I have spent a great deal of time over the last two months observing. Simply put, I have been watching life swirl around me. I have been watching the lives of those close to me, watching the lives of those I minister to, watching world events unfold, and watching Christians live and respond to the world around them. Over the next few days, I intend to elaborate on the observations I have made and hold them up against our Scriptural story...

OBSERVATION 1: As Christians we expend a great deal of energy attempting to avoid the seriousness of the gospel. I was recently at a conference for church leaders in which different pastors were given opportunity to speak about what had been happening in their churches over the last year. In the midst of those reports, a representative from the largest church present began to speak about the blessing God was bringing their way. This church, located in the heart of a good sized city, has been for the last few decades situated amongst some of the most impoverished people in its city. Out its back door lies a government housing project. To the east of the church is neighborhood after neighborhood riddled with violence, poverty, oppression, and hunger. One would expect the report to have something to do with ministry to those areas; God giving them the opportunity to make a difference in thier surrounding mission field. However, the representative spoke about the urban renewal that is taking place in that area. He spoke about how the poor were being moved out and the rich were moving back in. He spoke about the condominiums starting at $500,000.00 that were being built right across the street. He celebrated the perseverance of his people who were willing to put up with all the poor folk awaiting the city to come back to them. The city is arriving. The per capita income is going up...and for that we praise god...(lower case g is on purpose because I'm not real sure which god we are praising.)

Now I have much to say about that report...but I will resolve to say this for now, that report is indicative of a much greater problem that exists in the Christian church in America. We have failed to take seriously the call of the gospel in our lives. We have been wooed into complacency and lethargy. We work diligently to make the Kingdom of God look like the Kingdoms of the world. We have worshipped the gods of manna and comfort. That is both tragic and unfaithful.

Speaking with a group of people once, Jesus uses an illustration about a wide road and broad gate that so many people travel down and the small road and narrow gate that only few find. At the heart of the this illustration is the recognition of the implications of becoming a Christian. Many will claim Christianity but few will practice Christianity. Many will speak of God's forgiveness, but few will extend God's forgiveness. Many will speak of the gift of God's grace, but few will give it. Many will speak of selflessness, but few will practice denying themselves. Few will accept the seriousness of following Jesus. Few will seek to live in a way that represents God's redemptive plan for all of creation.

Accepting the life of a follower of Jesus requires us to allow Jesus to upend our lives. We haven't the privilege any longer of coveting what the world covets or playing by its rules. Instead, as followers of Jesus we have experienced a painful tearing away, a separation from that which we once thought worthy of our time and energy. We have allowed Jesus to show us the world for what it really is, a Godless world is empty. We have allowed Jesus to lead us down a really skinny path that forces us to live in constant tension with the world around us. The Kingdom of God is somehow present here on earth. The Kingdom of God is here in the person of Jesus...but yet it is found in a corrupt and perverse world. We now live as citizens of the Kingdom of God and aliens and strangers in the kingdoms of the world. We aren't given the opportunity to flee. Instead we are invited to live faithfully. We are invited to expend our energy in fulfilling the serious implications of the gospel. We are invited to desire what the Spirit desires--instead of the cravings of sinful man. We are invited to be seduced by the grace of God, giving ourselves only to Him--instead of the lust of the eyes. We are invited to boast about God's redemptive plan for all of humanity--not about what we have or what we've done.

Again...OBSERVATION 1: As a Christian we expend a great deal of energy attempting to avoid the seriousness of the gospel.

CLOSING WORDS: The gospel is utterly serious. The gospel tears us away from our love of the world. Following Jesus requires us to "lose our lives so that we might find them." And remember, only few find that path...