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“Star Wars – A New Hope.”
Remember that?
It was called Part IV.
Part 4? We didn’t have Part 3, yet!
(Or, parts 1 & 2).
Interesting place to start a story. Right in the middle.
But, I digress.
I do want to touch on the idea of a “New Hope,” though.
In recent posts I was pretty hard on most organized religion. Especially, Evangelicalism. That’s where I came from, so I’m most familiar with it. But, I don’t want to leave everything up in the air. There must be a better way to live and express the Faith that has been passed on from the beginning.
Many, (most?), have tried to box faith up in some kind of systematic way. People pore over the ancient texts trying to find common thoughts and ideas. They look for patterns of behavior in the characters who live within the pages. They try to separate the “Do’s” from the “Don’t’s.” Then, they package it up nicely and place a bow on top. This System is then presented to the faithful as the True way to Truly live Truthfully. What this ‘truly’does is enable people to do something, then pat themselves on the back for having done…it…whatever ‘It’ is.
I think that this process skews the truth rather than revealing it. It distills the Truth into bite-sized bits that people can munch on. But, in truth, it dilutes the Truth rendering it pretty much useless.
I share all of that so that maybe I can offer an alternative.
DISCLAIMER:
I really don’t know anything. I just want to toss this out there for consideration.
Ok, back to the alternative.
A couple of weeks back I wrote a kind of self-portrait in my journal how I felt that I had become hard. Descriptors like ‘granite’and ‘ice’ came to mind. I reflected on how I had built walls to keep people out. The walls had parapets from which I could cast down rocks and burning oil to keep folks away. After all, weren’t they all foreigners? Invaders? Enemies who desired to suck my life from me. Then…
“Take, eat. This is my body broken for you.”
“Take, drink. This is my blood poured out for you.”
WHAT?!
What kind of nonsense is that? That’s what Jesus said before He was crucified! What does that have to do with me?
I sat on that. Reflected on that. Chewed on that like a cow chews on cud.
I began to realize that as a person called to follow Jesus, I shouldn’t be surprised by the thought of self-giving. After all, isn’t that what God did?
“Take, eat.”
But, God?
“Take, drink.”
Really?
As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, he took the Twelve aside to tell them for the third and final time what was going to happen. He said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem.” Previously, Jesus had only told them that “He” was going to Jerusalem. Now, he said, “We.”
“We are going to Jerusalem where I will be mocked and whipped and crucified.”
The story continues and Jesus promises two of his disciples that they, too, will share the cup that he was about to drink.
Where am I going with this?
The Church has created a place where people can feel good about themselves. We are glad to be a part of the ‘chosen few.’ We look forward to living forever, resurrected to new life. Yet, we forget that we have been asked to walk with Jesus to the bitter end.
“Take, eat. This is my body broken for you.”
Not just Jesus’ offering. It must be mine as well.
“Take, drink. This is my blood poured out for you.”
Jesus blood gives life. So, then, should mine.
This is the better way. This is not a ‘System’ that people can follow and feel good about themselves. There is certainly no “Us” or “Them” here. This is how granite is crushed and ice melted.
This is Truly the way to Life.
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