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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Monday, January 9, 2023

more than doctrine

I was just another believer… I had become a believer but I had no idea what it means to be a follower

          Shane Claiborne

__________________________

 

Jesus is a problem

Forget the images we have fabricated

of this lily-white dude wandering around

dusty rural roads in lily-white roads

 

this Jesus who oozed love and patted children on the head

and made everyone feel

better

 

forget the Jesus most of us are introduced to in church

so socially acceptable and safe

so conforming

mysteriously

to the culture we live in

 

that Jesus who blesses our 401k

and provides us with a ticket to heaven

for no charge at all

 

I suspect that Jesus is not comfortable or safe at all

think about it!

 

that scruffy brown dude covered with dust

that fiery teacher who told those who listened

that they would have to turn their entire lives

upside down

that weird soul who ate with sinners

used spit and mud to heal the blind

 

that one who suggested that if you wanted to be great

you had to be the least

and if you wanted to live

you had to die

and said that the blessed were not the rich and powerful

but the poor and mournful

 

what does it mean to follow such a Messiah?

 

it is likely to wreck one’s life!

one will have to leave the old behind

and move on to what is fresh and new

 

and difficult

 

loving enemies

giving away our goodies

forgiving those who have hurt us

welcoming those we fear and misunderstand

fighting for justice

telling the truth

demanding the truth

 

it is easy to say Jesus is Lord

it is easy to spout a creed

it is not so easy to follow

 

but on the shore of Galilee

Jesus didn’t say “believe”

he said “follow”

 

and he says it still

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