Time to be radical

In the Bible we see a “…clash between a radical and normal vision for the future of human life on earth.  The radicality of nonviolent resistance versus of normalcy of violent oppression, and the radicality of peace through distributive justice versus the normalcy of peace through victorious force…”

 

… the challenge to our species is clear.  Governed not by chemical instinct but my moral conscience, , can we control escalatory violence before it destroys us?  Can we abandon violence as civilization’s drug of choice?

                     John Dominic Crossan (How to read the Bible and Still Be a Christian)

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ah Jesus,

humble and gentle one

 

ah Jesus

who, while capable of domination and violence

chose the way of service and peace

 

you gave us one commandment

one

Love the Lord your God

Love, with all your heart, soul and strength

 

and you suggested that this one love

should lead to other love

 

that we should love ourselves

as children of Love

and love others as ourselves

 

this is the radicality of your Gospel Lord

this love

 

this is the one thing

you ask us to do

think love

breathe love

live love

 

there is no complexity here

no need to parse this command

 

it is simply there

clear and uncompromising 

as stark and powerful

as you, kneeling in the dust, washing feet

as clear as you hanging from a tree

 

how do we miss it Jesus?

 

how do we skip right over those teachings

that call us to feed the hungry

clothe the naked

house the homeless

heal the sick

welcome the stranger

 

how do we miss those teachings that tell us

to be generous and take care of the poor

 

that tell us to turn the other cheek

walk the second mile

 

how has your gospel of humility and sacrifice

become a gospel of power and accumulation?

 

how have we allowed the radicality of the Gospel

to be blunted, even muted

by the normalcy of the world?

 

so that we have replaced plowshares with swords (or guns)

and become people who dominate rather than serve

control rather than set free

exclude rather than include

judge rather than forgive

hate rather than love

violence rather than nonviolence

 

ah Jesus