It’s not easy to end a series like this when the crisis of our “not-OK” reality continues on around us indefinitely. It’s not easy to hope, to wander together in this wilderness, to see others around us as companions on the journey instead of threats, to “fumble with love” as we trip over the meaning and intentions of our own words, or to move ladders that we have been afraid to move for so long.
No matter how much we fear war, it seems we fear peace more…
In Mark 6, we read that Jesus sent out the Twelve. In Luke's 10, we find 72. Yet no matter how many disciples Jesus sends out on any given occasion, the outcome is the same. How is it that they can go into the villages with nothing but walking sticks and the clothes on their backs and return with declarations of incredible spiritual victory. "Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name" (Luke 10:17).
"The early church had no building, no money, and no political influence. And they turned the world upside-down"
J.D. Greear …
… World history is the story of an endless sibling rivalry in which we all want to be the favorite child.
This is not our place. Power in this world, even economic and political power, is an illusion. It is temporary and comes at a tremendous cost. Jesus tells us that those who seek to save their lives will lose them. The more we try to gain or hold onto control, the more harm we do to others and to ourselves. Some have said that most of the evil in the world Is the result of religion. Indeed, the most brutal wars in history and even in our own day are rooted in religious ideology. It is not, I believe, religion itself which stirs up so much violence, but rather our misuse of religion for the sake of worldly gain and power.
While we fight over who is closest to God, God draws closer those we want to keep the furthest away.
While we fight for power, God continues to favor the powerless.
While we fight over who is the most “right”, God keeps loving those we think are “wrong.”
If there is any hope for our future, we must let go of our craving for power. We must stop trying to climb the ladders of the empire…
While Jesus was still speaking with her, messengers came from the synagogue leader’s house, saying to Jairus, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?
Mark 5:35
I don't know about you, but I must confess, I get frustrated when other people are late. When I am waiting on someone else to complete their portion of a project so that I can do my part, I get very anxious because I want to do my part on my timeline, not theirs. I tend to run life ahead of schedule to alleviate stress, but working with procrastinators sometimes forces me to delay the schedule I have set up for myself.
There are two key scenes in the gospels where Jesus is "running late" and on both occasions, his delay is literally a matter of life and death…
Here we are a month into 2020 and everyone is still talking about clear vision. Personally, I think the metaphor has worn a bit thin. Rather than jumping on the “20/20 Vision” bandwagon on New Years, I held off this particular reflection to give us time to lament our “Not-okay-ness.” We cannot expect to find a clear path forward if we don’t know where we are. As we come together in this “not-OK” place and learn to wander together toward hope, seeking clear vision becomes a common goal.
There’s only one problem with this whole idea of “clear vision”… It’s all an illusion…
Then they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.
Mark 5:17
We know about Jesus calming the storm. We know how Jesus healed the demoniac and sent the demons fleeing into the pigs. But what do these two stories have to do with each other?
After crossing the sea on that stormy night, Jesus finds himself in a position to minister to the 10 Gentile cities of the Decapolis. Of course there were mixed feelings among the disciples about the Gentiles in general, but either way, there is significant potential here for spreading the Good News of the Kingdom among countless people who have not heard. What strikes me is how quickly Jesus gets back in the boat to go home…
“Not all those who wander are lost”
- J.R.R. Tolkien
When I move to a new town, one of the first things I love to do is try to get lost. I generally spend a couple of days driving a few hours in every direction, learning how roads connect, circling back on myself, recognizing familiar landmarks, and enjoying the landscape. One of my favorite experiences doing this happened near Wilmore, KY shortly after moving there for seminary in 2006. I set out south toward Harrodsburg, across the Kentucky River and through the beautiful Palisades and then turned off on a few back roads. Unlike other places, I had lived, I found that Kentucky roads do not always follow compass directions. You may start heading south and end up going Northeast on the same road without realizing it. A few hours later I found myself in the familiar town of Nicholasville, less than 15 minutes from home. When I arrived I told my wife I found a new route to Wal-mart that takes about 2 hours and crosses the Kentucky River 5 times. Needless to say, the next time we went to Wal-mart, she drove.
In a world so driven by productivity and getting directly from one place to another or one thing to another, the joy of wandering is lost…
“Religion is one of the safest places to hide from God.”
Richard Rohr
That just about sums it up. There is something about being a good “religious” person that makes us feel good. In many ways it is like a “to-do” list. Our goal is to get everything checked off by the end of the day or week and then we feel a sense of accomplishment…
The language of violence, hate and fear permeate every level of our public conversation.
We cannot avoid it. We cannot tune it out. We cannot pretend it is OK.
If, as children, we had used the kind of insulting and degrading language flowing out of our highest public offices today, our parents and grandparents would have washed out mouths out with soap. (For those under 35 or 40, yes, that was a real thing). Now we consider such language normal. Racially charged insults have moved from the margins of low-bar comedy to the height of political discourse. Degrading the poor or disabled is no longer frowned upon. The so—called “locker-room talk” teenage boys were supposed to outgrow as they learned to respect women has now become a normal part of the workplace and the media…
Those whom we call “sinners”, God calls “beloved.” Those whom we call “tax collectors”, Jesus calls “friend.”
I find it striking that Jesus never refers to people as “sinners.” This does not mean that people do not sin, nor does it excuse their sin. What it does imply is that people are not ultimately identified or defined by their sin. As Jesus said, let the one who is without sin cast the first stone…
