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Possibly the most profound statement in the Bible: God is Love.
With this post I wanted to compare and contrast two views, or perceptions, of Christian truth.
Perception one views God’s truth as narrower, with their personal truth and belief lining-up closely with God’s truth; thus “orthodox”. To the varying degrees that everyone else’s beliefs stray from “orthodox” belief, the closer they get to unorthodoxy (heresy) and the further from God they go.
Perception two views God’s truth as wider, so wide in fact that no one human or group can claim absolute “correct” belief. They believe that all Christian beliefs have some things that line up with God’s truth and other things that do not. In a sense, we are all right and wrong in our understanding of God, no one is “orthodox”—and never will be while on earth.
But, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So here are 4 sets of diagrams I created (I am a visual person) that compare and contrast these two perceptions. These are overly simplified and cannot represent the entirety of all the perceptions of truth. I just feel these two are rather predominant in today’s modern/postmodern world. Here are the four sets:
A linear example. The perception is that our personal truths and beliefs line up closely with God’s. Everyone else falls within the spectrum of orthodoxy and heresy, depending how far they veer from the truth as we perceive it to be.
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This perception says that all Christian understandings of God are on the same plain and all share correct and incorrect belief about God. Each belief is different, but each still shares truth one degree or another. Here, orthodoxy and heresy are shared by all.
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An elliptical example. Basically the same as the previous, just not a linear model.
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Here, God’s truth is perceived as very big and incomprehensible for humans. All of our Christian understanding is but on the very edges of God’s truth, just scratching the surface. Here again, we all share correct belief and error to varying degrees.
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An organic example. We perceive God’s truth (tree) and our truth/belief as basically the same; they’re different colors, but the same type of tree and overlap. Everyone else’s truth/belief, though they are still trees, are not quite in line with God’s truth. Our tree is truth.
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Here, the perception is we are all apart of the same tree and all represent God’s truth to one degree or another. We are simply different branches of the same tree, not different trees. Each branch is different but are still maintained by, and can in relationship with each other because of, a shared trunk.
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A window example. We all have our particular windows from which we see God. Here, the perception is that God’s truth exists through one window, the one we see God through. Again, the further from our “orthodox” window others view things, the closer they approach heresy.
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Here, the perception is that God’s truth is all encompassing and that each window views a narrow aspect of it. That the view from all the windows combined present a clearer, though not absolute, picture of God’s truth. The whole is indeed greater than the parts.
These sets of diagrams really help me understand the differences in modern and postmodern thought about truth. It helps me understand why a person who views truth through the first perception does not understand someone viewing truth through the second perception, and visa-versa. It helps me see that these two differing perceptions makes communication about truth/God very difficult at times when one person adheres to one perception and one person, another. So these help me. I hope they also help you.
Lately, God has been teaching me to trust him and I find that it is a lesson I resist—sometimes with a vengeance. I want to be in control. I want things done in my timing. I do not want to let go, because letting go means, well, letting go and I want to hold on. Yet when I came across this poem (that I adapted slightly) it really spoke to my heart. In fact, I found myself reading it over and over and over and over again. Its words were what my spirit was thirsting for and God used them to bring a measure of his quenching. Here are those words:
To “let go” means not to worry about the future, but look forward to what might happen.
To “let go” is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization I can’t control another.
To “let go” is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To “let go” is not to try to change or blame another, it’s to make the most of myself.
To “let go” is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging the outcomes, but to trust God.
To “let go” is not to deny, but to accept.
To “let go” is not to intrude, worry or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings, and correct them.
To “let go” is not to regret the past, but to grow and live in today.
To “let go” is to fear less, and love more.
To “let go” is to cling to him who will never let go.
[adapted from here]
William P Young (author of The Shack) wrote an intriguing post regarding a possible purpose of mystery when it comes to God. He also touches on his personal struggles with criticism and misunderstanding. A deeply personal post.
Here’s a bit of a lead into the post (he is talking to God whom he refers to as “Papa” and “she” to convey how God is beyond any one gender):
“But,” I am struggling to keep my question from becoming an accusation, “Why couldn’t you have made it clearer? How hard would it have been to just have one of the writers put truth down in such a way that there would be no confusion?”
I look up and she is still grinning, obviously enjoying the conversation more than I am. “Like a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) at the back of the Bible?” I roll my eyes, even though part of me thinks that might have been a good idea. Papa pauses to take another sip of her steaming whatever. “Have you ever thought that ambiguity, that mystery, might have purpose?” . . . [read more]
A few lines I was drawn to:
“But doesn’t truth matter?” I ask.“Of course he does. But you cannot separate him from love. For anyone to stand up on my behalf to protect me or defend me, and not express love inside the embrace of Truth, it is better they remain silent.”
and:
“How come I haven’t understood this?” I shake my head.“Like you stated yourself, it is because love doesn’t come naturally to you. The closest you have is how you love your own children but even that is only a reflection of what love truly is. Turf and territory have always been about independence, while love is only present in dependence.”
We all make choices. We all make interpretations. We all are led individually by the Holy Spirit. We all do the best we can with our three-pound brains and our built in, God-given human limitations. We all stake claims on our current understanding of God’s truth as revealed to us by his Holy Spirit through the bible, his creation, and ultimately through his son Jesus. And so tonight, I do so as well and stake my claim on my current understanding of God’s truth.
[In doing so, please realize that this is my human profession. By making it, I am not judging or condemning others who believe or understand God differently—we all see dimly and in part. This is simply a short, non-comprehensive statement of where I have been led and am choosing to stick my flag based on my limited, non-comprehensive human understanding. It is by no means all worked out without any issues with a tidy bow (whose belief/theology ever is?), nor do I believe it ever will be. I believe that when contemplating God, there will always be a substantial element of mystery and faith involved—if not, he would cease to be God, and I human. It is partly because of my human limitations and the mystery of God that my belief will continue to be shaped throughout my life. Currently, this is what I believe. If you don't agree with it, cool . . . that is not an expectation of mine. After all, I really believe that we will all show up with our three-pound brains before God and realize we all fell short, were in error, and misinterpreted his revelations to us to one degree or another, and even then he will show grace.]
If it helps, to understand biblically a bit more where I am coming from, I would highly encourage you to read this Word document referencing scripture before continuing: reconcilation-scriptures.doc
I believe and stand on the mountain of God’s abundant grace and love for all of humanity. That through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus, God’s justice was met and the punishment for all sin was paid in full—canceled. That because of God’s love for his kids and the reconciliation that was made through Jesus, God has forgiven all. That forgiveness is his decision alone to make and it is not dependent on our response. That a person’s belief does not trigger God’s forgiveness, but rather their belief allows them to experience and walk in God’s love and the reality of their God-declared forgiven state. That God is able to extend his love and grace even after a person’s death. That death indeed lost its victory and sting, and God is not hindered one bit by our death in extending his mercy. If God was hindered by our death, then our death would ultimately be more powerful than God. That one day, every knee shall bow (repentance) and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (worship), and on that day God will not say, “That’s great and all, but there’s nothing I can do, my hands are tied. Sorry, you died—you’re too late.” That even then man can still reject him, but I find it awfully hard to imagine them doing so given the God-reality they are now experiencing. That if rejected, God will honor their decision and what happens after that I will let God worry about. That God, in his infinite love, is just wild enough to redeem, reconcile, and restore all things to himself. That in the end, God’s love for his kids wins and we will get to join in and celebrate his victory over death and sin, and embrace our dad. That in the end, mercy indeed triumphs over judgment.
I believe that on this earth, sin still has its deadly and destructive consequences, and that God, out of his love and for the purpose of restoration, disciplines his kids. That those who ‘believe’ on earth get to begin enjoying God’s love and kingdom-life here and now, and have the honor of being God’s kingdom-vessels in both word and deed here on earth . That the good news perhaps is not, “You can be forgiven in Jesus if you believe” (which is good news to be sure), but, “You are forgiven through and by Jesus, do you believe?” That the burden of humanity’s souls is God’s burden. Our job is the declaration of forgiveness, to love God (who first loves us), to love ourselves (because he loves us), and out of God’s love we are to love our fellow brothers and sisters who happen to share the same tiny globe as us, who happen to be created by the same one and only God as us, and who happen to be loved by God as we are. That it is our joy and privilege, as pre-death embracers of God’s love and forgiveness, to love and spread the good news that man is forgiven and loved by a God—their Daddy—who is love. That through love, their image of God, themselves, and others will begin to be restored. That we can join arms and follow Jesus’ example and the Holy Spirit’s leading in bringing God’s Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. That our highest call is love. It is on the mountain of God’s incomprehensible love and Jesus’ all-encompassing blood that I stand, come what may.
I echo the words of John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, who said, “I will stay in Jail ’till the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” And the spirit of Martin Luther when he said, “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.”
And if I error, I will error on the side of God’s grace and love—for all.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Col 1:19-22
. . . he is risen indeed!
The scales from my eyes just fell (thanks to a story in Chapter 3 of The New Christians about Frank the truck driver). Matthew 18 contains in it a notorious passage often used to expel—or in the old days, excommunicate—someone from the church if they unrepentantly continued to sin. It lists the steps a church should take to restore a brother or sister in sin. The very last step is listed in verse 17 where it says,
“If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
People read that as a command from Jesus to expel that person from the church (I know I always have). But these are Jesus’ words and how did Jesus treat pagans and tax collectors? He dined with them, he embraced them, he healed them, he gave dignity back to them, he loved them, he forgave them.
WHAT?! Could it be?
When Frank, while meditating on this passage, realized what it might be saying he began scouring other English translations and he found the Message,
“If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.”
So even with sinful and unrepentant believers we are to extend the same amount of love and embrace as we would an unbeliever walking into our church for the first time? Seems to line up with Jesus’ example and his words to forgive 490+ times.
Wow. After I sweep up my eye-scales from off the floor I think I will go to sleep on that note of grace. Thanks Frank!
“He who pulls off the masks in the comedy of life [ed. or religion] is ejected. What is the whole life of mortals but a sort of play in which each actor appears on the boards in his specific mask and acts his part until the stage-manager calls him off? He acts wrongly who does not adapt himself to the existing conditions, and demands that the game shall be a game no longer.” ~Erasmus
It is a lonely journey for one who decides to no longer play the games and wear the masks. For one to make a decision to ‘be true’ is to be culturally isolated, regardless the culture. Culture and society, religious or secular, applauds those who perform well on stage and ejects those who do not adapt or conform to the accepted script. To simply point out the games and masks is to be cast out by some. To demand that the games stop and the masks come off is to be slain by most.
To leave the stage and remove my mask is to ‘be true’ and to ‘be free’. The journey of such truth and freedom is often a lonely one, but worth it.
My spiritual director (the one on the left 
) shared with me this poem today and its words sank deep. I think for me as I find myself in this liminal period of betweenness, its words help me to trust Jesus and not to judge my circumstances as ‘evil’ or unwelcome. I hope that you too find solace in its words:
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
~ Rumi ~
. . . is how many years ago I was born from today, March 20. Yep, the first day of spring. Perhaps this is why I dislike winter so much, I was born for Spring. 33 is also the last birthday (according to tradition) that Jesus celebrated. Hopefully I’ll get a few more .
P.S. I have the best family in the world! I love you guys!
5 years—wow.
. . . you have to go here. Tracy opens up her library to us and shares the best parts that she has underlined, highlighted, or dog-eared. She often offers a brief comment or poses a question and rates the book with hearts. Her site is called—go figure—The Best Parts. Pay her a visit. Better yet, add her to your RSS and allow her nuggets to speak to you regularly.
I often wonder what Jesus’ words would be if he came to our culture, in our time. Perhaps this:
One time a Bible scholar stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”
“What is written in the Bible?” he replied? “How do you read it?”
He answered, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You’re correct,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you’ll live.”
But wanting to justify himself he asked Jesus, “And just who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered with a story:
“A man was walking when some muggers got a hold of him. Stripping him naked, they took all he had, beat him just shy of death and left him for dead.
“A Pastor came and when he saw the beaten man, he crossed the street to avoid him.
“So too, a Church Elder, when he came to the beaten man, crossed the street avoiding him.
“But a Muslim, as he traveled, came to where the beaten man was; and when he saw him he felt compassion for him. He approached him and treated his wounds. He brought him to the hospital and stayed with him for the night. Leaving the next day, he gave the hospital his information and some money, saying, ‘Take care of him. I need to go out of town. Send me the bill and when I return I will pay you for his complete treatment.’
“Of these three men, who was a neighbor to the man who was left for dead by thieves?”
The Biblical expert said, “The one who showed mercy to him.”
Jesus said, “Then go and follow his example.”
For us, perhaps the Bible’s header for Jesus’ story would read: The Good Muslim.
INSPIRATIONAL SOURCE: Gospel of Luke, The Parable of the Good Samaritan
. . . is the number A Mending Shift’s hit count just reached! LOL…what’s that about? So here’s what I was thinking: since I still find myself in the land of the unemployed, if everyone who’s visited this blog sent $1.00 to my family . . . we’d be set! Any takers?
Seriously though, thank you for blessing me with your virtual (and for some of you, real) presence. My life has been enriched through your words, thoughts, and friendship—I consider myself blessed. My hope is that in some way it’s been reciprocal!
Thank you!
My spiritual director keeps encouraging me to view this time of “between jobs” as a gift, not a curse. His words have helped me emotionally navigate through the waters in peace and trust, not stress and fear (though there is some of that at times). He sent me a card not to long ago and it said the following:
Tomorrow is the Future
Yesterday is the past
Today is a gift
That’s why it’s called the present
Wise words from a dear friend. May we view and treat today as a present from our Daddy, and may we be fully present in the present that is today. (Say that 10 times out loud! LOL)
It’s so hard to love and so fun to judge, yet when I focus more on loving and less on judging, there is greater peace.
One of my more “controversial” posts was when I wrestled with Romans Chapter 5 and tried to simply let the passage speak for itself, allowing the Bible to shed light onto our interpretation and application, versus the other way around. As I did, I was stunned by what the text really seemed to be saying. I invited others to read the text and wrestle with it themselves. I then posted my own process of wrestling with what the text was saying. However, after reading it again, I felt I needed to clarify some of my thoughts and so I updated it. I would encourage you to read and engage both of the previous posts, but below is the update and additional “all men” passages.
UPDATE 3/14/08 : Though God’s reconciliation (forgiveness, grace, pardon, etc.) seems to apply to all men (humanity wise, not gender), mankind still needs to receive and believe in the fact that God has forgiven them. In a sense, mankind needs to step into the truth that they are forgiven and loved. By mankind hearing and believing this truth does not trigger God’s forgiveness (as if God says, “Oh good, now I can forgive you…thanks!”), it simply allows them to walk in and enjoy their already God-declared forgiven state.
Think of it this way, when my son does something terrible, I forgive and love him unconditionally (Do I still discipline him with the goal of restoration in mind?…In love, yes). My love and forgiveness is not dependent on anything he says or does. However, when I tell him I love and forgive him, his belief and reception of that releases him from self-condemnation and the illusion that I do not love or forgive him. As his dad, as far as I am concerned he is free and clear from my condemnation and wrath—he’s loved and forgiven. Can he still reject my love and forgiveness? Sadly, yes.
Mankind, when standing before God and hearing (perhaps for the first time) that they are forgiven and loved through Jesus, can still reject him and say, “That’s fine, but I still want nothing to do with you.” And God—despite declaring them loved and forgiven—will not force them to love him and I believe will honor their desire to not be in his presence.
Appendix: Other “All Men” passages
1 Timothy 2:4
…who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.1 Timothy 2:6
… who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.1 Timothy 4:10
…(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.Titus 2:11
…For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.John 12:32
… But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”Romans 5:18
… Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
What if love was simply an end in itself? What if love was not a means to another end, but simply the point? Would that be enough reason to love . . . for the sake of love alone? Didn’t Jesus say this was his greatest commandment, to love? To love God, others, and ourselves?
Allow me to hypothetically pose some questions: What if as Jesus’ church we went out and simply loved with no other goal but love itself? If we knew they would never come into our church—would we love them? If we knew they would never give a dime to the church, would we love them even then? If we as the church did not profit in any way—would we love? What if we as the church actually suffered loss because of love—would we love? Humor me here, what if God’s love and forgiveness extended to all of humanity, and though in the end they would still have the God given choice to reject his love and forgiveness, it released us from the burden of people’s eternity and gave the burden of judgment back over to God—would we love? In other words, if our love of others wasn’t a means for the end of heaven, but simply an end in itself—would we love? If there was no other motive but simply Jesus’ love and the intrinsic value of the other person, would we love? If all that was left was humanity, God, and the earth, would we—as followers of Jesus and his way—love our fellow humans simply for love’s sake?
What if we took Jesus at his word and trusted his love enough to only do just that, love. What if through our love—or more appropriately, his love through us—others find themselves back in the arms of his love? What if by receiving Jesus’ love through us they then begin to follow suit in loving God, others, and themselves?
But if we love simply for love’s sake, why love? Perhaps because other humans are worth it. Perhaps because Jesus commanded it. Perhaps because the Holy Spirit leads us in it. Perhaps because God is it—love. Perhaps these reasons alone are reasons enough to love as an end, not as a means.
One more reason: Because your Daddy [God] loves you simply because he loves you . . . and for no other reason.
[UPDATE: Tracy over at The Best Parts shed some more light onto this topic here.]
May I seek less to be understood by the other than to understand the other.
. . . as I do, then read my friend Jonathan who put words to how I feel about the church. I could not have said it better. Thanks brother!
. . . you probably should not listen to this one. (Though I’ll admit that I laughed pretty hard)
You can find the full blog here.
God seems anything but balanced. At least that is what Jesus seemed to think and teach. I hear this often (or along these lines): “I know God is love, but you can’t sway too far to that side—you have to keep him in balance.” Most of us want a God who is balanced. One who doesn’t stray too far to the side of vengeance or to the side of love. One who finds a nice comfortable spot in the middle and firmly plants himself there, never to be moved. A lot of us want a moderate God, a middle of the road God.
But fortunately for us humans, that God does not exist.
Instead, we have a reckless God. An extreme God. A far-leaning-to-one-side God. Daddy is excessive. He’s wild. He’s unreasonable. He’s unfair. He’s unwarranted. He’s a fanatic who is insane, hell-bent, unbridled, unrestrained, uninhibited, and a borderline lunatic when it comes to loving and forgiving us humans—his kids.
To Jesus, God is a field manager who hired a bunch of workers at different times throughout the day—some working all day and others for only an hour—and paid them all the same! Some complained he was not being fair.
God is a scorned old father who at the mere glimpse of his wayward son (who, by the way, wished his father dead) off in hazy distance, hiked up his robe, ran to him, embraced him and could not stop kissing him; he then killed the best calf, put a ring and robe on him, and partied for days! The respectful older son was jealous, complaining too that the situation was not fair.
God is a shepherd who left 99 sheep in the open field—abandoning them—to go chase one worthless (in our eyes) sheep that ran away! Talk about reckless.
God is a banquet host who, when the invited guests did not show up, went into the streets inviting the outcast, the homeless, the crippled, the sinful, the lepers, the AIDS stricken, the mentally disabled and a whole other mess of his kids who were rejected, to a banquet with the finest food, the best china, the most expensive wine (you get the picture)—for free, with no hope of receiving anything from them in return! A tad excessive.
God is a woman who lost a coin and tore apart her house day and night looking for it, and when she finally found it she threw a party! Fanatic comes to mind.
God is a pearl collector who found a pearl and then sold everything he owned to purchase it! He is also a chum who found a treasure in some field and in turn sold everything as well to buy the field! Sure, they have their pearl and “treasure”, but now they are homeless and on welfare. Picture a friend of yours doing that…lunatic, no?
God is a king who let off the hook a guy who owed him $3,000,000,000—three billion dollars!—free and clear, not owing a thing! Who does this if not someone who is insane? (Yes, I know that the forgiven man then went out and demanded five dollars from a buddy and threw him in jail when he couldn’t pay, and yes, when the king heard of this he called the forgiven man back before him and threw him in jail because he refused to love as the king loves, to forgive as the king forgives).
And on and on Jesus went describing a God who was anything but balanced when it came to love. But he not only described it, he also lived it. He touched the untouchable, talked to the untalkable, forgave the unforgivable, ate and drank with sinners, healed the cursed, and went crazy when it came to love! (He also had some pretty harsh words to say for those who labeled, judged, and condemned all of the above, but I offer that even his harsh words flowed completely out of love for even them!)
So is God balanced? Thankfully not. But what about justice? Listen, since God is way unbalanced towards the side of love (which to him isn’t even a side) then any loving decision he makes is just, because God is the measure of justice, not us. In the end, his love-justice will probably seem terribly unjust to us—even me! Perhaps our “unjust” feelings will be more of a light shed onto our screwed up idea of “justice” than anything else.
Its funny, when it comes to God’s extravagant, unfair love and forgiveness, we freely believe and claim it for ourselves. It is when it applies universally to others, especially all the non-deserving (whoever that is for you), that we get hung up.
I am sure a large majority of us Christians (perhaps myself included) will whine much like my seven year-old son does: “But that’s not fair! I did this and that. I believed this and that. I served you. I…I…I… What did they do? Why do they get the same thing we get? Who are they that they should be called sons of God? Why do you love them? It’s not fair!” (Sounds awfully like a few parables, doesn’t it?)
Perhaps God will respond much like I do when my son enters into his whiny it’s-not-fair-mode, simply and calmly saying . . . “I know.”
Perhaps he’ll add, “Are you envious because I am generous?”
I am so glad that Jesus painted a picture of God who is anything but balanced. I am glad that Daddy is not moderate. That he’s reckless, extreme, far-leaning-to-one-side, excessive, wild, unreasonable, unfair, hell-bent, unbridled, unrestrained, uninhibited, and a borderline lunatic when it comes to loving and forgiving us humans; his kids.
Aren’t you?
May I follow my Daddy’s lead…
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