So, I have this friend… ok, last time I started a post like this it was a tongue in cheek reference to myself.  This time it is not (good thing or I would not be typing this as all my fingers – if not other appendages – would be broken), nor is it hypothetical.  And I still choose to have this friend be a friend, that’s what grace is about.  But I do need to vent, and not even so much about this friend.

You see, I recognize that my friend bears full responsibility for his decisions.  I wish him all God’s best, but unfortunately the path he has chosen will not bring him that.  We live in a world of consequences for our actions – both temporary and eternal - despite the grace that we enjoy and MUST give to others.  That’s why grace is scandalous.  In order to really be unmerited grace, it must be offered despite any actions of the recipient.  That’s offensive and scandalous, and a big reason Jesus was killed by the powers that were.

So, I have this friend who decided to leave his wife and toddler for another woman.  Beyond my agonizing over the seeming conflicts between consequences, responsibility, and scandalous grace, this raises another topic.  I’ve spouted my opinions and I know you’re probably sick of hearing them - on the dangers of the typical prosperity gospel, and the broader message that God will make his way so clear and easy that it will all come naturally.  That nothing should be hard or difficult, and that we should not force ourselves to make hard, life changing, difficult decisions that cause pain and the sacrifice of material comforts.  But this is why I will continue beating that horse until well after it is dead.

My friend heard that message and took hold of this teaching and used it to form the foundation of a spiritual justification for his actions.  I cannot help but think that a clear message of responsibility and consequences, paired with grace and blessing, would have provided some level of restraint against his decision.  Maybe enough to make him reconsider.  Probably not.  But I know this.  My kids will know all about scandalous grace, and will KNOW they cannot and need not earn anything from God.  But they will also KNOW that life in this world is not easy.  That Jesus promised that there is a wide and easy road - but that road leads to DESTRUCTION, He called us to pick up our crosses (in the context of His time, read: torture/execution devices – not the convenient religious symbol), promised that the first would become last, and that the way that seems right to man is not His way.  Given the context we were born in and the fallen state of this world, in need of redemption and in a state of conflict on a level we cannot imagine - God has no intent that our lives be easy or comfortable.  His intent is that we have joy and peace.  In HIS INCOMPREHENSIBLE WAY, joy and peace come through sacrifice, service, and submitting our desires and comfort to do hard things that He will empower us to do.  This is not about a life of dreary defeat and self-abuse.  It’s about TRUE VICTORY AND JOY when we submit to Him and put our desires down.

Another horse that may be dead, but that I will continue to beat:  scripture is dangerous if taken in snippets, and not considered and understood in the complete context of God’s entire Word, purpose, and nature.  This is just one example.  I am convinced I can find a half dozen scriptures (taken out of context, viewed in a vacuum) that will support ANY action I want to take.  We MUST understand God’s heart, His purpose, and Who He Is.  That’s what His Word is.  A description of Who He Is.  Since we are to reflect him, we must know Who He Is, and not rely on sound bites that we find pleasant.

Let’s get it right.  Live for God and for others.  Not ourselves.  All of His promises are good and real, but must be paired with – and are only realized through – true abandoning of our pursuit of our good to SERVE Him and others.  I’m frustrated right now.  His message is clear, we simply choose to concoct other arguments because we want the easy way.  And in doing so, we shortchange God, others, and ourselves.  Everyone loses.  I want everyone to win.

Please, read and help.

http://projecthopeful.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/urgent-call-for-help-for-the-buoniconti-family/

So, I’ve had writer’s block recently.  Maybe I’m just too distracted with thinking about myself.  I’ve been doing a lot of that lately.  Hate to admit it.  But it’s true, so might as well be honest about it.  Anyhoo… I’ll get that turned around.  I’m going to try to break out of that block by commenting on what I’m reading right now.  I’ve just started reading in the Gospel of Luke and was taken aback by the seemingly preferential treatment for the poor described in the prayer of Mary:

Luke 1:52-53
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.

What made me pause was there was no reference to the wicked mighty, or the oppressive mighty.  Just a blanket statement that God’s will seems to be that those in a position of power and wealth will be pulled down, and the lowly will be lifted up, filled and content.  Seems kind of like a downer.  Negative.  Bummer.  God’s about blessing and not tearing down, right?  Ironically, Mary’s prayer is a Spirit-inspired song/poem of rejoicing. Rejoicing!

So why do we see it as such a negative thing?  Hmmm… maybe because we are among the mighty?  Among the rich?  By world standards, we are.  And we take great pride in that might, success, and wealth.  So, why would The Spirit inspire a song of rejoicing in the mighty being brought down and the poor being exalted?  The hungry being filled and the rich being sent away empty?  I think St. Augustine nailed it:

“God does not demand much of you. He asks back what he gave you, and from him you take what is enough for you. The superfluities of the rich are the necessities of the poor. When you possess superfluities, you possess what belongs to others.” (Saint Augustine’s Exposition on Psalm 147).

We possess what belongs to others.  Not under the law of men.  But under God’s law, we possess what belongs to others.  The Spirit is not rejoicing in the decline of the mighty and the rich.  The Spirit is rejoicing in the vision of equality.  Community.  Our excess meeting the needs of others so that all might be filled.  Notice that there is no mention of destroying the rich.  I get more of a feel of the rich being brought down and the poor being brought up until we come closer to meeting in the middle.  Closer to using the resources He created to support everyone in love.  That’s a reason for true rejoicing.

But The Spirit is clear here.  This idea that there is more than enough to support both our unrivaled power and luxury AND lift the poor out of their desperate need?  Nonsense.  It requires sacrifice.  It requires that we give back what belongs to others under God’s law.  And that is cause for great rejoicing.  It is only a loss for us if our priorities are not where they should be.

A picture is worth a thousand words… so I’ll shut up already.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/where-children-sleep/

As the title says, this is just wrong.  It is destructive, evil, and corrupt and devoid of all compassion and love.  And we, The Body of Christ are to blame.  We know better.  We have the means to make a real difference.

I know… the Russian system is terribly flawed.  I know… their culture lacks compassion for the outcast.  But I also know that they don’t have the means to care for kids like his - not the way we do.  They have lived generations under an oppressive rule that intentionally stamped out knowledge of God and human compassion.  We don’t have any of those excuses.  What we do have is both the ability to make a difference and the clear Word of God commanding us to do so. 

http://networkedblogs.com/ky5kf

I’ll be the first to tell you adoption is not for everyone.  It’s probably not for most.  But it is for enough to solve this problem.  If it’s not for your family, dig deep, make real sacrifice, and give beyond what you think you can to Reece’s Rainbow, Compassion, Children’s Hope Chest, Samaritan’s Purse… groups that will use “your” funds to allow families to care for their kids rather than give them up or let them starve, and to save those who otherwise face a future like this.  It’s time to stop making excuses.  This is not acceptable.

Alas, I think that once again I have left room for misinterpretation.

When I said “DO SOMETHING” I did not mean we all need to be foster parents.  But I do mean that we, as THE body of Christ on earth, are an utter embarassment and hypocrisy if we, corporately, do not fill the severe shortage of foster homes that results in the “good” foster licensees being called about kids needing homes multiple times a week.  Fostering is a TOUGH road.  And if you can’t do it, I understand.  Jenny and I failed at it ten years ago.  But I don’t understand how those of us who don’t foster, don’t adopt, can give lip-service praise those who do and not lift a finger to help with the time, emotional, and financial cost of those who do.  We have got to change our “church” culture to be more of a family, and work together to be what Jesus called us to be.

Secondly, I’m afraid that some of you might be questioning what I meant by:
“So we loves us some of ourselves, but we don’t give a rat’s arse about the least of these.  And thus we don’t give a rat’s arse about Jesus either.”

Just to clarify, when I said that, what I really meant was: ““So we loves us some of ourselves, but we don’t give a rat’s arse about the least of these.  And thus we don’t give a rat’s arse about Jesus either.”

I know that does not apply to ALL as individuals, but it does apply to The Church as a whole.  We don’t even pretend to imitate what Jesus was all about, or what He told us to be about.  We’re about security and self-indulgence for us and our families.  All else is such a distant second place as to be almost completely out of sight. 

And we have the gall to argue that we’re under grace so none of this is needed for salvation - as an excuse and justification for doing nothing.  OK… I’ll (joyfully) concede that point.  We are saved by pure grace and nothing else - absolutely true, and praise God for that.  So, Jesus (and God - who watched Jesus go through what He did) endured more than we can even imagine and sacrificed his every moment on earth living for us.  And he asked us to love others as ourselves, commanded us to live our lives as living sacrifices… and we respond with “Listen, Jesus… I love you and all, and I appreciate what you did and everything, but I’m saved by grace so I’m just going to put myself and my family first and ignore you, and all you ask of me.”  So we’re saved, yes… but I still feel like I need to puke if that is our response to His love, mercy, sacrifice, and grace.

Strong opinion and emotion warning… read on at your own (maybe my own) risk.

I woke up this morning to news from a friend who took in foster kids pulled from a foster home because of injuries that imply possible (likely) abuse.  So I’m angry.  You’re probably angry, too.. right?  What kind of beast would do that?  There’s not a punsihment harsh enough for someone who would take in vulnerable, hurting kids, and hurt them even more… right?

If you’ve gotten angry too, let’s turn that around.  Where’s The Chruch in all of this?  The foster system has many saints, but also has too many who provide care for the cash compensation and neglect the kids, or who take the opportunity to provide abuse.  the ONLY reason the scumbags get foster kids placed with them is that there are not enough GREAT foster homes to take kids in.  The social workers’ hands are tied.  Kids come into care and there is no place for them.  They have to place them somewhere.

If you’re angry, there is only one place to point that anger - The Church - THE Body of Christ on earth… who in general is more concerned about our comforts, luxuries, and security than we are about kids who need homes.  Who are so proud of how much we love kids… our kids… genetic copies of us… i.e. we really loves us some of ourselves.  But we don’t love or care for other people’s kids.  And don’t tell me we do until we take action as a body… a living mass… a living sacrifice, that is.  Action that eliminates the shortage of foster families and crowds out the problem homes with the love of God.  Action that at least hints at what Jesus said about caring for Him through caring for the least of these.  Hmmm… kind of seems like Jesus said if we don’t care for the least of these, we don’t care for him.  So we loves us some of ourselves, but we don’t give a rat’s arse about the least of these.  And thus we don’t give a rat’s arse about Jesus either.  If we say we do and don’t care enough to live our lives as a living sacrifice for the least of these, we are liars and the truth is not in us.

Don’t like to hear that?  Tough.  I’m not going to back off of that because It’s the truth.  Deal with it, and do something.  DO SOMETHING. What would Jesus do?  He’d sacrifice… and really make a difference.  We aren’t even pretending to try.