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I was looking in my backyard today and noticed all the weeds that have been popping up. I sighed at the thought of going out there and uprooting them. What a pain. Seeing all those weeds got me thinking about Jesus’ words where he taught us not to pull up the “weeds”, but to instead let them grow and leave it to him. [See Matthew 13]

How bizarre and backwards is that? Ignore the weeds growing among us? Don’t pull them, chop them, poison them, kill them … but simply let them grow next to the flowers, in the grass, in the garden, in our yard? Absurd! To a gardener, such a suggestion would be foolishness. I offer that it is foolishness to religious people as well. So why would Jesus say such a thing?

A few reasons came to my mind…perhaps you have others.

The first is that we, as humans, have a very poor track record of recognizing weeds. Our perspective seems to be that anyone who looks or believes differently than we do is a weed. Certain prophets and Jesus come to mind in the Jewish history. Certain reformers (among many others) come to mind in our Christian history. In hindsight we see that the “weeds” we got rid of were perhaps not weeds at all. Our historical tendency has been to label weeds, “wheat”, and wheat, “weeds” and we have acted accordingly, praising the wheat-weeds and getting rid of the weed-wheats. Jesus, aware our proven biases and natural tendencies as human beings, said he’d handle the weeds and gave us the job of loving and serving them. Ugh…don’t you hate that?

Another reason is that it is not our place to pull, poison, chop and kill weeds. Even if we were able to judge correctly as humans (which we aren’t, but let’s pretend) who was a weed and who wasn’t, it is not our job to uproot them — it is Gods. Much like when my son feels it is his role to correct and boss around his younger sister. We simply tell him that she is not his concern and to leave his sister to us, her parents. It is not his role as a sibling to be a parent! But oh how he likes to take the parent-role anyhow.

We’re the same, aren’t we? We feel as if weed-control is our role. Jesus simply tells us that it is not our concern and to leave it to him. It is not our role as created humans to be God. And oh how we like to try to be God (we’ll of course never admit this, but if we were honest, it’s true…at least it is in me). We like to play judge and determine who is and who isn’t a weed and treat them according to their human-given label (which never works out to well for the “weeds”).

The last reason is our lack of trust, or even not wanting to really trust, in God. Our desire to exercise weed-control on our fellow humans reveals our lack of trust in God (again, something we’d never admit). We really don’t want to let go of judgment and give it to God (not that we ever really had it in the first place). What if God declares someone a “flower” who we think is a “weed”? (Funny thing is that our State Flower, the Golden Poppy, is in fact a weed). What if God really loves weeds and tells us to trust him because he knows we’ll get it wrong and raise havoc on his creation? What if God gets it wrong — that is, according to our thinking (theology) — and God lets all sorts of “weeds” into his presence? Do you see the problems trust creates in us? Do you see the questions and fears trust-in-God raises? At least, that is, for some.

For me, I have found great freedom in trying to relax my ingrown human need to judge and take on the task of weed-control. It’s not up to me. My job is to love and to serve everyone — everyone! — even my enemies (whom I tend to declare to be weeds). It is such a relief to let go of a burden I have self-imposed on myself and give it back to God. I was never designed to carry it. And God knew that, hence Jesus’ words.

So now that I no longer have to worry about labeling and pulling weeds, I need to get busy learning from God how to love and serve them.

Jesus said that we’d be known as his followers by our love (John 13). He also prayed that his followers would be united in love so that the world would see that God loves them as he loves his son, Jesus (John 17). I knew this about Jesus’ words, but as I was reading through Philippians—particularly the second chapter (which I’ve read 100 times over in the past)—Paul’s words jumped off the page. He talks about unity in Christ, comfort from his love, tenderness, compassion, being of the same mind, and then says this: “…Having the same love…”.

He then goes on to explain what this like-minded love looks like, and points to Jesus. That love should be the unifying factor. That self-sacrificing love helps us to be one in spirit and mind. That our like-mindedness is found in the humble, serving and loving mind of Jesus. Not only does love define us—label us, as it were—as a follower of Jesus, but love also unites us. And when the world looks on, witnessing and experiencing our love, they will know they are loved as children of their heavenly daddy.

Like-mindedness (a.k.a. unity) is found in love, expressed through humility.

So let’s take a quick test.

1) What defines us as followers of Jesus? Love.
2) What unites us as followers of Jesus? Love.
3) What draws others into following Jesus? Love.

You mean, the answers to the above isn’t “correct” doctrine? Or ___________ (you fill in the blank)? Or . . .

Perhaps (and I am using “perhaps” very facetiously) love is the greatest of these things.

May we be known and united by our love.

Possibly the second most profound statement in the Bible: God is Truth.

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.”

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,

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,

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!

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

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…

What if we, as the church, were invisible? What if we had no church buildings? No signs declaring a church location? No denominations or headquarters? No mega weekend gatherings? No Christian radio presence? No Christian stores? No Christian bumper stickers or other outward personal identifying stuff? What if the Yellow Pages didn’t have a “church” category and if you Googled “church” it came up with no search results? What if there was no such “thing” as the church? Would there still be a church?

What if we, as the church, were invisible? What if we simply lived the life of Jesus, speaking and displaying his love to the people we knew and came in contact with on a daily basis? What if we as followers of Jesus simply did just that? What if we gathered quietly in homes to break bread and encourage each other in Christ; where our goal would be to simply live as agents of God’s restoration, serving God and the “other” in real and tangible ways? What if church were not a weekend thing, but a people who radically lived behind the cultural scenes bringing God’s kingdom to earth?

What if God’s church was more like a tiny mustard seed instead of trying to be the biggest oak tree on the hill? What if Jesus’ church was more like a tiny amount of yeast…itself unnoticed, yet quietly transforming and restoring people and, in turn, culture? What if the Holy Spirit’s church sought to be the last and the least—a servant? What if the church daily sought self-death—dying to itself and loosing its life in order to find it—instead of doing all it can to save its life? What if God’s church chose to sit down in the least honored seat of society and culture, instead of clamoring and fighting for the most prestigious one? What if the church “thing” disappeared and all that was left was the church—people who realize they are forgiven and loved by God and who actively want to be a part of his restorative and healing work in lives of other’s?

In other words, what if the church was invisible—or even better: visible, yet invisible? What if?

Note: I wrote this nearly a decade ago and it was published in Reaching for Life Magazine, Spring 2000. I found it again in an old file cabinet and reminisced. It was really tempting to completely “rewrite” it but I decided to resist and share it here as originally printed, or very closely. So enjoy (or perhaps not, and wish I left it filed away )…

Sheep. They are all around us. We eat them. We wear them. We are them—well, at least according to God. We are sheep. Perhaps this is why I stopped on the side of the road…to take a look at myself and to see me as God saw me—as a sheep.

I had been teaching through the 23rd Psalm and reading the modern classic, A Shepherd Looks at the Psalm 23. So when I saw a small flock of sheep and had the opportunity to see firsthand what I had been studying, I leapt at the chance!

My fiancé [now wife] and I stopped the car on the side of the road, put it into reverse, and parked in front of the sheep. We stepped out into the chilly breeze and watched the sheep. Most of them were eating grass. A few of the lambs were playing and running. The youngest were nursing on their mothers, while a couple were just asleep on the grass.

Nothing fascinating about this; they looked like big fluffy white clouds with four skinny legs—and nothing like me! I could have been just as impressed (or not impressed) with watching a herd of cattle. What they were doing seemed useless and boring.

Eating, playing, nursing, and sleeping—sheep are too simple to understand and fully relate to us humans. They were purchased, they live in a field their whole life, and do nothing of seemingly importance. They may do nothing, but they do serve a purpose. They are here for us. We are here for God.

Eating, playing, working, and sleeping—humans are too simple to understand and fully relate to God. Which is why he chose to relate to us. Because we were purchased, because we stay on the earth, and though we may do nothing of seemingly importance, we serve a purpose—to follow the leading and accept the loving provision of our Shepard and host.

The 23rd Psalm has had a special place in the hearts of people throughout the ages. People have desire (for some, it is an unnoticed need) to have God lead and nurture their lives. That is the heart of this Psalm.

The Psalm is also universal. What person has not walked through the “very dark valley” where death itself casts its shadow? Times of dark depression and hopelessness? Moments when all you can do is look up and cry for the Lord’s help? What follower has not longed for the Lord to lead them in a decision?…has not felt the deep thirst to lie down and be restored by something more than just sleep?…has not had brief encounters of their cup running over with blessings?

No Psalm has meant more (or been read more) to the human race then the 23rd. It speaks to people’s heart and souls. It rings of a place and hope far greater then this dreary earth—of a richer pasture. Its words carve out the very essence of what it means to be human—to trust.

Trust. A baby does it by nature. Yet somewhere down the road we’ve gone through one too many potholes and have had too many people cut us off to trust any longer. We have been hurt too many times by trusting someone who was not trustworthy and so we are frightened to trust again. And so we become like sheep. We scurry and scamper away from every rustle in the bushes, hoping to find peace.

Trust. We all long to trust in something bigger than us. We all long for a shepherd to lead, provide, and protect. This is why we love the 23rd Psalm. Somehow, the name alone brings feelings of peace and comfort. But the Psalm is written for those who have the Lord as their shepherd.

Other sheep may long for what the Psalm talks about, but they cannot claim its benefits as their own. They might as well just stop reading at “The Lord is my Shepherd.” After all, they might get their hopes up and end up being disappointed.

If you were to read one of my poems about my dad, you could not read it as though the poem was yours and you could not claim the benefits of having him as your father unless you were part of his family. The same with God; you cannot claim the benefits of having the Lord as your shepherd if he is not your shepherd. Make sure you can say, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

[Wow, so that was—for me—a weird walk down memory lane. It is always interesting to read over things written in the past and see how differently I think now vs. then…to see how differently I would have written it now. Some parts were tough for me to type out and re-post. Typing this “as was” was similar to looking back at old drawings I did when I was 5 years old…I realize how differently I draw now. Thanks for reading!]

Over the past few years I been giving this some thought and was recently asked this question. I thought I’d let Jesus speak for himself:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

This is not all he said, and his actions as well point to why he came. What else do you see Jesus doing and saying that points to why he came?

(For focus reasons, limit your comments to only what Jesus said or did in the gospels)

The Bible is incomplete. It is. That’s not bad. Just the limits of putting anything to written form. Even John says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Jesus did MANY other things that were not written down. I wish they had written down a few more things.

The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” I like it because it show Jesus’ heart and how he hurt when a friend of his died. I wish there was one more like it. I wish the gospel writers would have included the fact that Jesus laughed. I wish I could read, “John leaned over and told Jesus a joke. Jesus belly-laughed hysterically.” I am sure they shared these type of moments. I mean you get 13 guys together for three years and there is going to be a large chunk of humor happening. To included Jesus laughing would have, for me, made the Bible a bit more complete and would have driven a substantial nail into the fact that Jesus was human––a flesh and bone guy who laughed and burped and passed gas and cried––as well as divine. Which makes me wonder if even the divine would do such things? (Minus, perhaps, the middle two).

There are a few questions that we traditionally are not allowed to ask. One is, “How does our theology shape how we translate the Bible?”

Here is an interesting bite to chew on. In the original Greek manuscripts, all the letters are capitalized with no spaces or punctuation (this is one reason I would never want to be a translator—nor would you want me to be either). So take Jesus’ statement on the cross to the thief. Here is how it would have originally looked to us in English:

ITELLYOUTHETRUTHTODAYYOUWILLBEWITHMEINPARADISE

Crazy stuff, huh! What do you do with that? You can slightly make out the words, but where do you decide punctuation and thought breaks? Context helps, but sometimes context can’t help. Now is where the translators enter into the picture and where “accepted” theology mixed with the power of the comma is seen.

For those whose theology embraces purgatory, they translate the passage as such:

“I tell you the truth today, you will be with me in paradise.”

For those whose theology denies purgatory, they translate the passage like this:

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Same words. Same text. But subtly change the comma placement and the theological implications are eternal.

So I ask, how does our theology shape how we translate the bible?

Picture this: 4,000 years from today archeologists stumble upon a chest of Lord of the Rings collectables. They find books and figures and shirts and the extended edition movies, just to name a few items. Based on their find, they determine that Middle Earth existed 4,000 years ago and it was populated with trolls, and hobbits, and elfs, and giants, and a bunch of rings, and this mountain called Doom, etc. They read the books and watch the movies as historical treaties and documentaries of everyday life in the 21^st century, at least in this newly discovered place called Middle Earth.

I am obviously using hyperbole to make a point. It is an example and only that. But by now I am sure you see the error in their assumptions. We, living in the 21^st century know the context of the Lord of the Rings story. We know that its intended genre is fiction. Yet even by us knowing that it is fiction, that fact does not limit or diminish the impact and message of the story. To the contrary, its fictional genre is what makes the message and meaning possible. To approach it in any other way would not be correct. In fact, if we were to talk to our 4,000 year contemporaries about their conclusions, we would shake our heads, try to hold back our giggles, and plainly explain to them the fictional genre.

Genre is important—terribly so. I believe the Bible uses the genre of fiction, among others, to help convey truths about God and humanity, as well as to help bring about change in people.

Before I continue, it is important to communicate what I mean by fiction. To me, there seems to be two ways in which the word fiction is used.

When science uses the word fiction, it refers to something that is false but tries to pass itself off as true. The phrase “Fact or Fiction” and the TV show, Mythbusters, are good examples of this approach to fiction. The goal is to determine if something is true or false. If it is true, it’s fact. If it is false, it’s fiction.

When literature uses the word fiction, it refers to a creative story that is not factual, but is intended to convey truths. Some say that this medium is often more powerful at doing that then if someone just wrote a list of factual truths. Think of some of the movies you’ve seen that have impacted you in a great way. Recall some novels you’ve read that left there mark on you. The power of a good story is, well, powerful. Metaphor, allegory and figures of speech fall into this category.

I am using fiction in the second sense of the word; the literary sense.

So for me, to think that God uses such a medium to convey deep truths about himself and about humanity is not a far stretch. I mean, he wired us. He created us with an imagination. He knows how powerful this genre is in conveying truth. It engages you emotionally. It gets your imagination going. You picture the story and place yourself into it. Have you ever lost yourself in a good story and then whammo, the twist comes and it just gets you in the gut? When Jesus came to earth, it was his primary tool to convey truth. Why would it be different in his revealed word? Did God change?

But the story died. Somewhere, somehow, someone decided that the genre of the Bible was only a God-encyclopedia, a God-dictionary, a God-documentary…100% literal fact. That no fictional elements exist (besides Jesus’ parables) and that truth can only be conveyed through hard-fact and solid reason…the mind only, not the heart. Almost like the Bible has a label on the inside cover, “Check your imagination in at the door, it’s not needed in here.” It sounds like religion got scientific on us—the day the story died.

To me, it is almost a greater and more destructive error to label the genre of fiction as “documentary”, then it is to label the genre of documentary as “fiction” (hell comes to mind as a possibility of such error, but maybe not). I mean for people to start taking seriously one-ring-that-rules-them-all? And Mount Doom? And Orcs? That could get ugly.

To label everything in the Bible as either 100% literal or 100% fiction is the easy way out. It requires no thought. And both extremes, I believe, is as much an error as the other. We need to take what was intended to be fictional as fictional and what was intended to be literal as literal (this is where the heavy-lifting comes into play, and sorry, I am not going to lift it for you by providing three easy answers).

Some of you reading this are nodding, thinking, “Finally, someone has put into words what I have been thinking and feeling.” Others are probably shaking your head, getting rather worked up over the words “fiction” and the “Bible” being used together. Whatever the case, I am simply sharing my view. My goal is not to change you. If this get’s you thinking…great. If it helps change you…fantastic. If it irks you…sorry. If you feel the need to respond with a shotgun to shoot holes into it…you can, but if that is your only goal, then perhaps save it and simply say, “I highly disagree”—I’ll know what your saying and where you’re coming from.

What I do ask, is that we really try to engage and dialogue with the heart of the post……blessings.

As I thought about God’s coming-to-earth-in-flesh these last couple days, this question kept popping up, so I thought I’d share my burden with you (you can return the favor someday if you’d like): 

Is this the Good News Jesus proclaimed?

I created you.  You are sinful.  I died for you.  Believe in me.  You’ll be forgiven.  Tell others.  I’ll see you in heaven.

Or was there more?  Or was his Good News different?  Was this all Jesus came to Earth to do?  How do you see and understand Jesus’ Good News?  How do you see the Good News as told through the entire story of scripture?

Interested in your thoughts……

On our way to San Jose today, our kids were watching Lion King 1 1/2. I heard this dialog, especially the last line, and cracked a smile…

Rafiki: “So, I told the boy: To find Hakuna Matata, you must look beyond what you see.”
Ma: {understanding} “Ohh. A metaphor.”
Rafiki: “Well, actually, it’s–”
Ma: {enraged} “You used a metaphor on Timon?! He takes things literally! {panicking} That’s it. He’s starving out there. I just know it! Max! Timon’s out there chasing metaphors. I’ve gotta go find him!”

Then I pictured this dialog: “You used metaphors in the Bible?! They take things literally!”

Post one of two…

Warning: Long post ahead.

Chapter five in Romans is the pivotal point of Paul’s letter. Everything prior is building up to it. Everything after is a celebration and a fleshing out of its conclusions. It’s conclusions and intent are direly important to the message of Romans that Paul is trying to communicate. To me, it is one of the most powerful and life-giving chapters in the entire Bible. But I need help. There seems to be a double-standard being applied in the traditional interpretation of its meaning.

For the sake of focus and time, I am looking primarily at verses 9-21. I chose to include the entire Text in this post, as opposed to only referencing it. I also removed the verse markers so it would read more like a letter. As you read this, allow scripture and Paul’s words to speak. This might be a familiar passage, but really listen to what it is saying. Read slowly. Chew on it. Read each word, each sentence. Don’t filter. Meditate on it if you’d like.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

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. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For the sake of ease and understanding, I uploaded a Word Doc (Adam / Jesus in Romans 5) that organizes both of Paul’s “thought-threads” into columns. Please open and read it for reference. Each column mirrors the other so read it like a book; top-left, then over to the right, then back to the left and down…etc. The emphasis is mine (though I offer it might be Paul’s too). (Now is the time when you open and read the linked Doc…I’ll wait ).

Now that you have read the linked Doc (you’ll need to in order to answer the questions), let’s continue. In this first post I am simply going to pose questions (you are welcome to pose yours as well in your comments); in the post to follow, I will share my answers and thoughts. These are the questions that I have personally asked of the text and invite you to do the same. Let me encourage you to pull out a pen and paper (or Word Doc) and write down your answers. Again, don’t jump to a hasty answer, really think about it and let scripture speak to you:

1. What column does Paul seem to be emphasizing?
2. Which column does Paul seem to be saying has more power?
3. Which column does Paul seem to be saying trumps the other column?
4. Which column do you interpret as Good News?
5. Which column applies to all men…to the many?
6. Which column is the result of a created man’s actions?
7. Which column is the result of God’s actions?

Those were the easy questions for me, now for the tough ones (same answering rules apply as with the previous ones…no cheating):

1. Which column do we traditionally apply to people whether they believe it or not?
2. Which column do we traditionally apply regardless of what they do or not do?
3. Which column do we traditionally say that a human only has to be born into this world to have it apply to them?
4. Which column do we traditionally apply to only the people who believe it is true?
5. Which column do we traditionally apply to all people?
6. Which column do we traditionally apply to only some people?
7. If we say one column applies to all people, and the other to only some, then based on this, which column do we traditionally say has more power (though perhaps we would never say it)?

Now compare your answers from the first set to the second set.

• What do you see?
• What stands out?
• What inconsistencies are there, if any?
• Do your answers line up with what Paul was saying?
• Do you see a dual-standard being applied to this verse? Meaning, do we interpret and apply parts of this passage one way, then apply and interpret other parts another way, sometimes within the same sentence?
• What was you experience like doing this exercise?
• How were you stretched?
• Are there any new conclusions or insights you have drawn?

The reason I am leaving my answers and thoughts for another post is so not to influence or skew your process or answers. I want you do go on a journey of “self-discovery” not “Jeromy-discovery” (I am not insinuating that God’s spirit is not involved in your, or my, journey of discovery).

I would love to hear your answers, questions and thoughts regarding this.

I have been working in churches since 1991 and have made the rounds through a number of denominations. For the past three years I have been reading and engaging a lot of the emerging and missional movement, feeling a sense of “finally someone is putting words to what I have been feeling in my gut.”

I was recently laid-off by a church who overstretched their debt burden. During this time of transition I have been stuck in the box of finding a ministry within an already established church, but the more I look and dialogue, the more I feel like a fish out of water, if you know what I mean. I am sensing that though some churches want to become more “missional” (whatever that means to them), they do not want to do the heavy thinking and restructuring to do just that. It seems similar to some aging churches who really desire to have young people in their church but would rather die than make the changes required to fulfill their desires.

But over the past few days, there has been a sense of freedom that has been given to us in this time of transition. As we were looking far and wide for our next “ministry”, God stilled our hearts a bit and asked us to look around. Like never before, over the past two years, we have had an influx of non-Christian, nominal-Christian, church-hurt people come into our lives. And we began trying to discern what God might be doing. Are these people coming into our lives during this time for a reason? Might God be birthing a group of people who are longing for a community and a savior and mission greater then themselves, but not in a traditional “church” setting? And we began dreaming (all-be-it prematurely) about such a missional community of ragamuffin folks who meet in a living room to really dialogue about who Jesus is and what he calls us to be.

Exciting times…