JJP Conference (July 11-13)
Where to begin? So much transpired in just those three days. A chronological recount may best serve my fading memory.
Friday Night, First Session: Brian speaks about The Way of Jesus
- I remember this powerful kickoff to the conference. We were all mentally preparing ourselves for what we were about to embark…even though we knew very little of what to expect.
“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus” – Blaise Pascal
Brian made reference to this quote, and I could not agree more with it, for I have felt the void in my own heart.
- Brian spoke of the Way of Jesus. He mentioned evangelism and put the question to us: what is it really? Is it just a contemporary trend? Is helping the poor and showing social concern a new fad, one that will eventually pass and something new appear? He responded with (as he’s done so before at the Underground), “If so, I’m out.” And you know what? Just try to imagine what it would be like if the multitude of supposed Christian leaders of today genuinely felt this same way.
- If Jesus is the center of God, what then, is the center of Jesus? Who does he value the most? Who did he come here to save? And in the same token, who are we to reach out to and love? I think you’ve guessed it: the poor! But what does that term really mean? A group called Luke 18 thought they knew. However, they did not embody the whole passage…only the first part of it.
1. Widow cries out against injustice and God hears her. Will we not cry out with her? Will we choose to ignore rather than listen? Materially poor, spiritually rich enter kingdom
2. The tax collector and righteous man go before the Lord. The sinful man goes away justified and forgiven, for he knows his own shame and inadequacy. How do we view ourselves? Materially rich, spiritually poor saved
3. Children wish to see Jesus. “You must be like such as these to come to the Kingdom.” God advocates for and blesses the poorest. Do we? Materially and spiritually poor enter kingdom
4. The Rich: knowledgeable man questions Jesus. He answers matters of faith correctly but cannot bring himself to sell all that he owns. How hard, indeed, it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (not metaphorical!) So, what do we choose? What is more important to us? God or supposedly being masters of our own destiny? Materially rich and spiritually rich DENIED the kingdom!
5. Jesus predicts his own death. The WAY of Jesus is the way of suffering, mockery, torture, and death. It is anchored in the CROSS and the cross is for the POOR. Luke 4: the Good News of Jesus Christ is good news for whom? The poor! There is no one else. And special attention is given to the most vulnerable, those with the least going for them. And why shouldn’t it? In this exchange of Jesus’ unconditional love for the least of these, where do we fit in, then? We are not the ones directly afflicted by poverty and we are certainly not Jesus. However, if we are Christians, if we are truly “Christ-like”, then in His physical absence we are called to be just that. Not to wear trendy WWJD bracelets, smack a “Jesus loves you” bumper sticker on our cars, sit in a building resplendent with beautiful religious décor for an hour a week or verbally declare our outrage without tangible following in action. No, it would be better for us to be dead than to partake in this contemptible lifestyle that misleads and even validates the arguments of atheists.
- Brian said one more thing that really struck me. It was about the Incarnation. When he was describing the reason for and the rationale behind this event, I am not joking when I say that my eyes, my mind, and my heart were opened in a whole new way. I cannot even sufficiently or articulately explain to you what I felt then, but something rather profound clicked inside me at that moment. It was like Brian was no longer speaking to me; I could hear his words, yes, but their meaning and my understanding converged at such a deeper level that as my eyes (fixed upon his face up until this point) drifted from him to that blurry obscurity you see when staring into nothing cognitively distinguishable and immersed in such reflective contemplation, I could not help but believe that it was God’s own voice I was hearing right then. Crazy I know, but true.
- Brian posed the question: what on earth could be SO important to Jesus for him to abandon the perfect fellowship and intimacy he had with God? Why the necessity of the Incarnation? The emotion and passion with which Brian spoke is what really moved me. Imagine this: God’s heart grieves SO profoundly for the world, his heart breaks SO tremendously for the poor that anyone who could have seen it would run IMMEDIATELY to go repair it. If Jesus truly loved his Father, truly felt his Father’s debilitating grief and pain, how long could he just sit there and watch? Especially if he KNEW how to mend it? What an atrocity if he were to do nothing! Therefore, it is the incalculable LOVE of the Son that brings him away from his Father in order to repair God’s broken heart. Jesus’ proclamation of the Good News to the poor, of freedom, sight, liberty, salvation…is the healing of God’s heart. It is the most selfless, most compassionate and most beautiful thing I have ever known.
Side note: bleeding heart liberal is not a bad thing
Saturday Experience in urban Tampa
-I ask myself again, where to begin? More happened in this one day than the other two combined. We saw things we've never seen, we listened to stories we've never heard, we met people we never knew existed, we walked down familiar street names into neighborhoods we've never visited, we EXPERIENCED the city of Tampa in a way that shattered long-held stereotypes and truly put a FACE on the frequently indifferent descriptory term, “poverty.” I went away from this experience disturbed, and yet, hopeful. The momentary glimpses of suffering, pain, and injustice I witnessed was enough to flood my heart with compassion as well as a fiery desire to effect change that has lasted even up until this point of recollection. I am hopeful of humanity's future in spite of its overwhelmingly gloomy outlook because I have grown not only to deeply love our God, but also to trust my whole life in his caring, protective hands. And this may seem to be illogical, irrational, and fully lacking of reason-based intelligence, but I could not be more certain of the sensibility of my decision for I know that without this profound connection with my creator, I am indeed nothing. I cease to be fully human, to be fully alive when I cut myself off from my source of humanity and life-giving breath. But take from that what you will. I'd prefer to communicate to you the events of that day which I find especially impactful.
-I woke up that morning tired, aching and curiously anticipatory. I was part of a group that slept outside in Borrell Park. This relatively insignificant experience showed me what it was like to be uncomfortable (bugs suck!) and vulnerable (even in a small group). But most of all, it led me to IMAGINE what homelessness could be like. And it scared me. It made my eyes fill up with tears and my mind overcome with apologetic thoughts. I found myself silently praying for God's forgiveness, for him to replace my weak, uncompassionate heart with His. I thought about how hard it must be for the homeless; how are they able to live every day of their lives without any sense of security? It could downpour in the middle of the night, they could get sick, they could get harassed by the cops, they could get attacked or robbed. And they would have no one to turn to. It shames me for once ever thinking that these marginalized individuals were responsible for their own plight. For how would I even KNOW? God forbid I should ever even TALK to one of them and hear their story. I remember as a young girl being told, “Do not judge someone, because you do not know what he or she is truly like.” How many of us agree with that statement? Now, how many of us adhere to it? Story of a Christian's life, wouldn't you say? It angers me that the most helpless are the most stigmatized and with the least evidence. It outrages me that society in general, is benevolent, if not sympathetic to this idea. And yet, some of my closest friends still marvel at my intense contempt for this world (particularly the society in which I live). However, that is of no great import. For I honestly believe that one day God will use my seemingly excessive outrage/bluntness to expand his kingdom, and I am perfectly content with being labeled (wrongly, I might add) liberal bitch, if in the long run, God, who ALONE knows my heart and is justified in judging me, finds in me some kind of value and utility.
- Wow, i really need to stop digressing. The first thing we did upon waking up (at 6:30am) was gather our things (which we had to carry with us everywhere) and walk to Sweetbay to use the bathroom...which was closed...so, the closest gas station instead. While waiting for our turn to go inside, a man approached us with the hope of selling a book. I think that we were all hesitant about how to respond, even our small group leader, as the man went on to describe the church he attends and the religious book he held. At one point he was pleading with us to buy it. And I felt like I should, I even had a $5 bill in my hand. But for some reason, I was reluctant and remained silent. As he finished telling us about his salvation from God and newfound love for Jesus, he turned and walked away. It was then my turn, so I left...and used the money I had to buy some drink because I felt bad about using the restroom. Yet, I felt more guilty for not giving it to that man. I couldn't help thinking that God presented us with this opportunity to show our love, and we failed him. That God showed us a glimpse of himself and we, not realizing it, ignored him. I personally failed to speak up and be a leader. I became acutely aware of that aspect of myself that day. I thought about how the homeless might lose their sense of dignity in even such minor situations as using a public restroom. I am like everyone else in that I need to be forced into seeing the poor in a new light. I need it to become personal in order to really care, as sad as that may sound. And I kind of think that's what JJP did in a way.
- After a scanty breakfast at the College Hill building, we were able to reflect on and discuss the Word, and then depart in groups to walk around Ybor Heights. Each group was led by their own personal mentor who was either currently homeless or previously so. Ours was Chester. He took us around the city, talking about his life on the streets and giving us insight into the unseen world of poverty and homelessness there. I was amazed by how many people he knew. Everyone we came in contact with, Chester greeted with a smile, handshake and kind word. I think about my own life and how absurdly difficult it is to say hello or simply smile at an unfamiliar face. So much can be learned from mentors like Chester. For instance, selflessness. Chester willingly missed work to be our guide despite the obvious necessity to him. And another guide, after spending the weekend with us, gave half the money he earned from mentoring to the offering box and used the rest to buy snacks for his group members. See, small acts of kindness and love, like this one, says a great deal about a person's heart. What is your heart saying? Is it compatible with what you know to be right? Or is its expression hindered by some external social fixation and expectation that is contrary and contradictory to Jesus' heart? I, for one, am in constant struggle, perpetual battle between a society-shaped self and a Christ-molded soul.
- Oh, how ridiculous we must have looked to passersby in the vehicles. Bands of young adults intermittently scattered about, with black trash bags in hand and backpacks slung across our backs, just walking around for miles. But what I rediscovered is that one must frequently appear foolish in order to arrive at a worthwhile destination, whether it be a philosophical notion or conscience-driven action. I appreciated the opportunity to meet a couple who owned a clothing store and heed their request for us to clean up the area around a building in which vulnerable women sought and received help. As we picked up numerous liqueur bottles and even came across a needle, I fought to suppress stereotypical thoughts about the poor and remembered Brian's words the day before: mental disability, alcoholism, and drug use usually develop out of poverty, not the other way around. Standing at a detached, impersonal distance one may be inclined to criticize, judge and assert that the poor bring about their own demise and desperate condition. But take a moment to reconsider. Actually apply that frequently thrown around saying, “Put yourself in someone else's shoes.” Is the previous determination still reasonable? Can complex socio-economic problems be reduced to such oversimplified explanations? Can anything for that matter? And if not, then why do we still insist upon clinging to our old, incorrect ideology? A lot of what I saw and heard reinforced what I know to be true about Jesus. He is the resounding voice of the oppressed, ignored, forgotten. He is the illuminating face of hope, redemption, salvation.
- Somewhat passively listening to God's Word in conjunction with actively connecting with its message for the poor, the lost, and the hurting, revealed to me the totality of Jesus' mission. His concentration (and rightly so) was entirely spent on those members of society who were utterly alone, those on the verge of complete despair, the victims of injustice, and the outcasts of an indifferent, discompassionate community. Tell me this: who is to vouch for these people? Because that's what they are. PEOPLE. Living, breathing, moving bodies full of dreams, aspirations, desires, emotions, pains, personalities, struggles, the same as you and me. Who is to stand by THEIR side, in THEIR time of need? Who is to stick up for THEIR rights, dignity, sense of humanity, all of which has been so monstrously stripped away from them (as invisibly and unadmittedly as it has been)? I ask you: Does it not make sense for SOMEONE to do this? For someone to bring meaning and purpose and love back into their forcibly emptied, broken lives? Doesn't it make sense, then, for that person to be overflowing with unconditional love, compassion, justice, and a profound selflessness that no human on this earth could possibly possess? And following this line of thinking, who, if not the very essence of goodness and righteousness itself, could be that unwavering companion and true, everlasting friend they've searched for their whole entire lives? Jesus was, IS, and will be just that. But the gravest mistake anyone could ever make is to think that since Jesus is their advocate, everyone else need not concern themselves with the matter. For that would miss the point entirely! Why do you or I or anyone ever defend a position or idea? Because we wish to be an EXAMPLE and inspiration and source of reliable truth. If Jesus has ever inspired you to care for the poor, do not let that fire (even if it is the smallest flicker) go out. Rather, let that dim flame spread out from the twigs it first set ablaze in your heart to every unburned crevice of your body.
- BREAKOUT SESSIONS!
I would have loved to attend all of them. Too bad they took place at the same time. So, I chose to learn more about Political Advocacy. Here are some quick notes:
-- church as a polis; affairs of human community
-- Jesus had special interest groups
-- Inverted word connotations: consumption --> consume; private --> privation; communism -->commune
-- Ephesians 6: warfare, systemic evil
-- Fastest growing homeless community: families, veterans
-- **Drowning Bodies Comparison: Are we to save one by one, or find out and resolve the original source?
-- Intentional communities, relocation program, communities of resistance
-- Isaiah 10, 58 the poor's rights, justice, righteousness
-- **www.ppehrc.org www.refugest.pete.org
-- Power of nation-state, transnational capital vs. God's system, power and authority
-- www.thesimpleway.org, the new monasticism
-- Church is a MOVEMENT not and institution
-- **Book List: Resident Aliens, Pieceable Kingdom, Being Consumed, Jesus for President, Age of Hunger, Beginning Church, Roger & Me (film), Confessional Church
Saturday Night, Second Session: The Truth of Jesus
- Brian spoke about orthodoxy and the majority of churches' departure from its true meaning: reality of the teaching and Word. Too many pastors nowadays preach their own interpretations of the Bible that do not reflect Christ's teachings and expectations of his followers. How many of us have been dissatisfied and unchallenged by churches we've attended in the past? Have you ever felt like the church does not really care about who they say they care for? Have you ever listened to the inspiring, uplifting rhetoric or looked around at the large, beautifully constructed buildings all the while feeling a perturbing sense of hypocrisy? The only church I had any experience with prior to my introduction to the Underground network was St. Andrew's Catholic Church, and despite my limited exposure to the broad array of Christian denominations, I could not keep from generalizing traditional Christian services in a negative, disdainful way. I lacked personal connection with God, insightful knowledge of the Word, deep awareness of Jesus' mission and vision for this world, genuine compassion for the poor, and an outpouring of passion in the little praise/worship I did offer the Lord. I was just another robotic, motion-driven, love-deficient supposed follower of Christ. I always knew that something was missing in my ceremonial, proper, ornamented church service. Jesus! Yes, some of the most beautiful stain glass images of Him were there, hymns speaking his holy name were there, stories about this life were there...but He was not. Not REALLY. A building full of nicely dressed people, pleasant sounding music, aesthetically pleasing decorations were present. But again, I did not FEEL a real God, and since I could not feel him, I began to doubt his realness. I was a baptized, confirmed catholic who gave offerings and received the Eucharist. And because so many people seemed to be content with that scope of the “Christian believer,” I thought I should be as well. But my conscience would not permit me. My heart knew that a religious organization based so selfishly upon itself and contributing so little to the rest of the local (not to mention global) community had no real value or spiritual authority. It was not until I attended a service one Sunday morning at the Improv in Ybor City (more than 5 years later), that I felt the presence of Jesus burst forth into the darkness of that void inside and fill me with a renewed hope in Christianity. I was absolutely blown away by the raw honesty, humility and profound love the whole room exuded. There was no need for an expensive, breathtaking, mammoth, permanently established four-walled structure. No, simply a space full of imperfect yet sincere failures of believers in Jesus, who desired nothing more than to thank their God for his unimaginable grace and love, sufficed. I was really drawn to the legitimacy and relevance of this ministry...or collection of ministries, I should say. The Underground is radically different, non-traditionally authentic and entirely rooted in the life of Christ. It is based wholeheartedly on a mission to effect real, tangible, genuine change wherever its arms may reach. It is a living, breathing organism comprised of living, breathing, caring, searching, willing, submitting, passionate servants of the Lord. This is not a church in the sense that most people view the term. Rather, it is a movement, an almost imperceptible revolution that's begun from just a small seed of ordinary communitarian connections. For if it were anything otherwise, I should not have ever returned. It is growing, expanding, impacting. But not in a blatantly discernible, in-your-face kind of way. There is no flashy or enticing lure, no crazy evangelized shouts of condemnation, no one-sided pontification, no fake empty shell without substance. It literally could not be further from that stereotypical image. If it had even one trace of any of those qualities, I would not have fallen so deeply in love with it, or more importantly with Jesus again.
- Pessimist. Skeptic. Realist. Scientist. Knowledge seeker. Searcher of truth and meaning. Terms that fit me quite well. Logic. Sense. Reason. The means through which I arrived at conceptual ends. But to think in such a close-minded, tight-bounded, philosophical manner was desperately incomplete. Its limits and restrictions were too great. A whole field of view was unobserved, and a perfectly functional method with which to view the unseen, the unaddressable, as it were, was not utilized. And oh, what a tragedy it would have been for me to have remained obstinate, foolishly refusing to even test this available method. A method that (as it turns out), is the sole, superior process by which the unidentifiable can ever be brought into view, clearly focused and thus, inevitably recognized. This is my analogy for the change that I had to undergo in order to thoughtfully wrap my mind around God.
- Orthodoxy: the reality of Jesus' teaching and Word is that it was unmistakably and wholly for the POOR of every kind. A church that is not completely, in every way, invested in the poor has lost sight of the true meaning of 'orthodoxy'. Shameful example: an official, prestigious Bible dictionary demonstration. Term, 'pottery', elaborated for seven pages! Term, 'poverty', given only two paragraphs! Yet, in the Bible there are over 2,000 references to poverty and only eight to pottery. Is this not an accurate reflection of contemporary attitudes with regards to biblical content, if not biblical literacy?
- Problem of Evil
Basic question: How can God be all-powerful or all-good if poverty exists? It’s questions like this that make me honor, respect and cherish the poor. For questions like this one do not cross their minds. They, who are in the very midst of poverty, are not hindered by philosophical arguments. Their simple nature and continued faithfulness and trust in God despite tremendous hardship, pain, injustice….blesses them. Yet we, the “enlightened” and privileged, have so much difficulty with the notion of even God’s existence! It makes perfect sense to me now, why Jesus would base his entire life’s mission on the poor, and command all of us who sit in a higher position than “such as these,” to strip ourselves down, humble ourselves and become one with the poor. For this is the only way to enter his kingdom. We are made in God’s image, which means we are in every way LIKE God. That includes his greatest gift and attribute: creative self-expression and freedom. And what is “freedom” if not the ability to choose? And what is “to choose” if alternatives do not exist? And what is the alternative to “good”? Thus we arrive at the possibility of evil. Now, God who is indeed all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good KNEW what this meant and what it would cost him. God did not coerce, influence or set mankind up to choose evil. There was no conspiracy to doom humanity. Quite the contrary: God wants ONLY good for us. But he does not control, manipulate or force us to do anything. God is Love, and Love is Freedom. Just because God knew that his created beings would abuse their freedom, does that mean He should not have created in the first place? No. God saw the tremendous worth, value and potential of his artwork. God loved humanity so much that even though he knew they would revolt, rebel against Him, He STILL wanted to save them, forgive them, love them. And the way to do this was through Jesus Christ. I tell you, it does not get any simpler than this. The poor and uneducated even know this to be true. Why, then, are we so reluctant and stubborn? Has our intellect, meant for such great enterprises, succumbed to such an inferior level that we fail to understand that which even the unlearned fully comprehend?? Please tell me it is not so. Jesus is the face of the poor, and yet poverty is the stripping away of God’s image. Blessed are the poor, yet we are called to rid the world of poverty. Mankind, and it alone, is responsible for its own fall, its own sin, and as one of a myriad of detrimental consequences, its own creation of widespread poverty. I think it is high time for us to put out of our minds these philosophically ignorant questions and turn our attention to what ACTUALLY MATTERS! Jesus came to declare war and to recruit us for the battle. But there are no guns, no condoning of collateral damage, no selfish cause bringing nothing but death and destruction, terror and fear, loss of hope and crippling dehumanization. Christianity may get a bad rap for previous, ungodly cruel actions, all in the name of the Lord, and for good reason. It’s interesting that most of what nonbelievers object about and point out as justification for their rejection of the Christian faith is the violence and hypocrisy prevalent in history as well as today. And I agree. Humanity has been responsible for incredible atrocities. Most of man’s legacy speaks this truth. However, that’s just it. It is humanity (and it alone) who deserves the blame. Just because we are horrible failures in expressing our faith, building relationships with people, speaking up about our belief in Christ, and following Jesus’ example exactly as it is laid out in the Bible, does not indicate God’s culpability. The weapon in this war need not be material or highly sophisticated; it need be only genuine, from the heart, and powerful. And that’s precisely what it is: LOVE.
- Word of advice for every Christian: Consume less. Give all. Lead.
- Bob Pierce – World Vision “God, if there is ever anything that no one else will do, let me.” There really is hope for the restoration of Christianity’s image because sectors of the social network truly do have their hearts in the right place and their mission invested fully and exclusively in Jesus’.
Sunday Service, Final Session: The Life of Jesus, Luke 19:1-10
- I had never seen the Underground more full of bodies, spirit, love, passion, thankfulness, warmth, solemnity, and joyous communication with the Lord than that morning. Our hearts and minds were still heavy and contemplative from the conference.
- Recall from Luke 18, the rich ruler who was TOLD to give all he had away, could not, and left Jesus unsaved. There is a juxtaposition of stories here; the rich tax collector, Zacchaeus, willingly volunteers to redistribute his ill-gotten wealth without provocation from Jesus. It is a changed heart, a newfound eagerness and not a guilty conscience that leads him to restore what had been taken away (on more level than one). This passage exemplifies one of the greatest examples of optimism for the present-day: Zacchaeus is not only filthy rich, but he is the very epitome of the WORST kind of rich, for he exploits his OWN [Roman-occupied] people. And yet, he is spiritually altered forever! Zacchaeus, a man who all else despised and ridiculed, rejected and felt nothing but contempt for, he is sought out by Jesus, forgiven and saved by him. I don’t know about you, but this familiar story still blows my mind! Jesus is incredible. He really is the restorer of hope.
- Jesus is also a rebel-rouser. Check it: he picks the ONE guy in the crowd that is the LEAST expected to be greeted with the words, “I must stay at your house today.” This is totally inappropriate in the eyes of the people because to “be the guest of a 'sinner',” is in essence purporting a lifelong friendship with this supposedly evil, unredeemable man. No one was, is, or likely ever will be as CONTROVERSIAL as Jesus. Just take a look at verses 9 and 10 if you don't believe me. “...because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” Was Zacchaeus entitled to this term? Does this short, concise, and simple statement not also apply to presumably justified withholding of humanity that happens all the time nowadays? So, what is Jesus saying? That the vicious-scum of the earth-unworthy of yet another breath-child killer is to be given a chance for forgiveness rather than thrown straight away into a pit of fire where “his kind” belong? The very idea of even suggesting such a ludicrous consideration was deemed complete and utter nonsense. And I suppose the term, “nonsense,” is suitable in a way; for what does this word mean than quite literally, “without sense”? Moreover, if sense is to mean “what is intuitively and reasonably self-evident,” then I should agree [superficially] with the present argument. It would greatly behoove the skeptical examiner of Jesus' person to understand that what he does and what he says, which is contrary to your inclinations, to your socially-constructed values, and traditionally-based ideas of ethically intelligible applications of common sense, to the nature of your very SELF even, that his words and actions are, in fact, completely and utterly enveloped with TRUTH. I promise you that if one openly and earnestly listens to the heart of Jesus as it is revealed through his spoken word and demonstrated action, a blinding and dumbing veil shall never descend upon his eyes; conversely, it is the blackened, clouded vision of one's mind that is so easily lifted and restored. Jesus returns to the vulnerable and depraved that which society took away. For Zacchaeus, it was his humanity, community, and fellowship with God. Who do you know that has been subjugated to a level of bleak and abject worthlessness? Are they to remain there, in that state, forevermore? Does this question not faze or unnerve you whatsoever? Is it met with only apathy and nonchalant dismissal? For the love of God say it is not so! For it is, indeed, the IMMENSE flooding of God's heart with IMMEASURABLE LOVE that, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” I ask you this: are the worthless (whoever you know them to be), honestly to be cast out of our lives forever, to be tossed aside and forgotten? Are we to honestly believe that no one should ever emerge in indignation and protestation and outrage towards this claim? That no one should ever recognize the communal threads that bind every individual as well as collection of individuals together? And lastly, that no one should ever (having realized this interconnectedness) present a compelling counterargument that not only repositions the erroneous perspective, but also outlines in profound detail the stepwise adoption of the alternate one? I believe Jesus to be that “no one.” As much as I am pressured by the society in which I live to believe what I call the “erroneous perspective,” I can not. There may be momentary instances where I find myself mentally exclaiming things like, “Yes! Shove that woman-raping, child-abusing fuckbag of a person into an electric chair!” But I must rebuke myself and admit the universality of evil and sin. I must remind myself that hate cannot breed anything other than hate, for it is its own species. That hate met with love, though mixed-breed, will inevitably reproduce some type of love, for it is the dominant characteristic. This regeneration restores hope back to the hopeless and worth back to the worthless. Would you not want this same kind of mercy, grace, forgiveness and (to your own earthly-created standards) NONSENSICAL love bestowed upon you in your most desperate hour of need? Do not deceive yourself, do not foolishly and self-righteously pull the dark veil over your own face as some sort of final act of absurdly hostile rebellion to conscience. The cliché of “having absolutely nothing to gain, yet everything to lose,” has never proved its truthfulness more successfully than at this exact moment, in regards to this precise matter.
- That very morning I witnessed four college students lift that dark veil from their eyes and fully behold their Savior for the first time. The feeling that rippled through my body when I saw each hand raise in response to the invitation to accept and surrender themselves to Jesus is nothing less than incomprehensibly indescribable. However, I believe the words that immediately burst forth from my dear friend standing beside me most nearly approaches it: "PRAISE GOD!!" The two of us were overcome with joy, overwhelmed with tears, and overfilled with thanksgiving to our God. Jesus does not just comfort, heal, inspire and restore lives. He completely TRANSFORMS them. And I was so incredibly honored to have seen the beginning process initiated among these four USF peers.
- The Life of Jesus is the Life of Justice
This passage in Luke is a story of hope for the middle class. Jesus' mission is the poor, but he challenges those with wealth, presents them with opportunities to change and holds them accountable for their decisions. Jesus possesses a transformative heart of justice; he blesses and fills spiritual poverty, emptiness, interior void. Three lessons to take away:
1. New Priorities – (Matthew 6) The Kingdom of God seeks justice, and from seeking this other things come. It is not so reciprocally. Re-framing of the question: for what are we willing to sacrifice? More $$, is that it? Is money and the things it can purchase what defines us, what we ultimately aim for, aspire to and chase after? Or do we reject this facade and its heinously mismanaged set of priorities in favor of a new kind?
2. New Kind of Community – “Son of Abraham” Zacchaeus, rejected by the town, is declared by Jesus to be a welcomed brother. Remember Luke 15: the lost brother, compassionate father and angry brother. The crowd behave like angry, unforgiving brothers. And that is precisely why Jesus seeks out he who is lost. For who will? Who among us are this unbelievably compassionate? It is difficult enough for us Christians, so imagine the tenfold impossibility for those who doubt the legitimacy and sanity of Jesus. However, to seek and to save IS Jesus' heart. That may seem admirable, but not applicable to you. It may be tempting to think that (and trust me I know) that is JESUS' heart, JESUS' mission, but not MINE. That there is no need for me to do what he did for he's already done it. But what I failed to recognize then, and what I have come to realize now, is that Jesus died for the possibility of having his mission completed. Sure, what is done is Done. Finished. For Him. He conquered (past tense) death, but we are the ones living (presently) it out. And it is the way in which we choose to live that he is watching ever so closely. To see whether we have taken to heart what was and is the essence of his very own. And to those who have established a new kind of community with him and with each other, there will be unspeakable beauty to experience in every way imaginable and unimaginable. John 8: adulterer; where are your accusers? “Well, then, neither do I condemn you.” Jesus leaves us with clear examples of how to love others, how to build relationships and communities. He is our great provider. One more thing – crack pipe is broken! A woman, a user emphatically and forcefully threw down her pipe. She accepted Christ into her heart, to heal and restore her. She let the consuming evil be lifted from her and literally break before her eyes and by her own hand. Do we not, as Christians, live for moments and stories such as this one? And for nonbelievers, do you not feel a kind of rejoicing and happiness on the others' behalf? Perhaps even a longing for the same powerful restoration. We are all in need of some kind of physical AND spiritual healing or repair. JESUS, not other lacking humans, is our source of supreme and lasting healing.
3. New Heart – As mentioned before, money is returned not due to guilt, but out of love. Negativity, no matter how pressured and prevalent, does not work! It will not last or significantly alter. It is deficiency met with sufficiency that meaningfully changes and repairs. And GOD IS SUFFICIENT! The hope that he makes possible is founded and honest-to-goodness downright believable. Transference of love (Eve and the cat), opening up of one's heart to the Holy Spirit (Brian's kids story). Transference of new heart (Eve and animals --> orphans). Children, with no preconceived notions, are incredible instruments of instruction. Powerful and amazing events can happen to those who are open. My desire for you is to be open, to be like children. To be just as you are, bare, innocent, untainted, innocuous. Let go of the binding grip you have on your pride and just see what new things may be grasped, both tangibly and intellectually. I am quite certain it will astound if not confound you.
