Reading the Gospel

One of my Facebook friends posted a comment a couple of weeks ago about the Gospel. He basically said that one should not pick and choose what one believes about the Gospel because then the story becomes more about you than about God. One of his friends responded that he hasn't anything to do with the Gospel because he's lied to himself much less frequently than the Gospel has lied to him. I went back to the thread a few days later to check further comments. The same man said that he gave up on the Gospel when he was eight years old.

It's clear that someone who gave up on the Gospel at the age of eight has never really read the Gospel -- at least not the one written in the Bible. I've been thinking of this string of Facebook comments ever since.

Anyone who's been a Christian for very long has probably heard something along the lines of, "You may be the only Gospel someone ever reads." Well... here's the proof. The man's bitterness about the Gospel has nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with his followers (and don't worry... I know that if I point my finger outward, that there are three pointing back at me).

God says in the Bible, "Be holy, for I am holy." One thing is for certain: God wants us to adopt His character - His holiness. Just to be clear, I don't mean He intends that we be holier than thou or judgmental. Instead, we're to look like Jesus.

Now if you have read the Gospels you know that Jesus made friends with all kinds of people. His life was characterized by love, forgiveness, grace, healing. He knew how to meet people of all walks of life right where they were and love them just as they were. In fact, the only ones who seemed to have a problem with Jesus were religious types (of the holier than thou variety).

"Be holy for I am holy." Become like Jesus. That's the mission of each Christian. It's what spiritual formation is all about. Being made over is hard and messy. It's not for sissies, and perhaps that's why so few have a real appetite for it. It's easy to judge others - to be holier than thou. It's simple to confess to some beliefs and follow a few rules that allow you to pass a "Christian" litmus test. It is something altogether different to have Christ formed in your personality. That requires a total overhaul. It's painful.

But it is critical that transformation happens. The stakes are high. It's not simply for our benefit, but for the benefit of those who truly won't read the Gospel except in the lives of Christians.

What You See is What You Get

I was listening to music in the car the other day when the Sara Groves song "What I Thought I Wanted" came on. I'd already been pondering the way folks react to what happens to them, and this song thrust me deeper into my musing on the subject.

I was visiting Savannah, GA with my daughter. It was the SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Accepted Students weekend. We were treated to events that were planned with excellence and (of course) an artistic flair. We were both impressed and filled with visions of what her four years at this wonderful school - in a beautiful city - would be like. I found myself hoping that it would all work out and that she would be launched into adulthood living her dreams.

I would be less than honest if I didn't admit that in the midst of all of our excitement I didn't also have a twinge of anxiety. What if the finances don't work out? What if she makes a bad choice that changes the trajectory of her life? What if , what if, what if?

These thoughts do not rise simply out of my imagination. They come, rather from my own experience. Most of us can think of things that we thought we wanted, and in the end, got something else entirely (Sara Groves says, "What I thought I wanted and what I got instead).

There are different ways to handle it when we get something different than what we want. We probably all know people who are filled with bitterness because something(s) didn't work out as expected. Rather than enjoy the present, these folks dwell on why they cannot be happy. For them, life is absurd and meaningless. But there is another way... Others are open to whatever it was that they got instead... That openness allows them to see God's hand at work. This doesn't mean that they're making the best of a bad situation. It means that they are able to see how what they got instead was the best. The unexpected, un-looked for, and even unwanted outcomes lead to a place filled with the blessings and presence of God.

Sometimes our plans, hopes, dreams, and fervent prayers do not turn out the way we want. What comes next depends on how we respond. When we have eyes to see the hand of God working His wise and loving plans in and through our circumstances, abundant life is what we get.

Understood In Context

There is very little that can be understood outside of the context in which it is said or done. One may be able to hear and fully understand a short, pithy statement because its meaning is fully contained within it. However, most of what we hear, see, and even who we are can only be understood within a much larger context.

All of us are shaped by a large body of experience and cooked in a stew that consists of our families, friends, church, etc. This was brought home to me during the past week when we said goodbye to my Uncle Ted ("One of the Good Guys"). Ted's life was lived within the context of family and church primarily, but also in relation to Kiwanis, Master Gardeners, his former life in the Social Security Administration, and much more.

As our family and friends came together last week, I was struck by how profoundly I am attached to these folks - not simply that we've shared experiences, but that my true identity can only be understood and fully known within the context of my relation to them. I am fortunate. Those connections have been loving and affirming. There are themes of love and grace, fun and adventure that run through my life's story. They are all related to other people. Some are family, some friends, and many through the church - my other family. Even the dark threads of sorrow, pain, and brokenness - when woven together with the rest appear to be part of a good story - not a sad one.

What's your context? What are the themes running through your story? I hope you're not tempted to think that you have no control over what happens in the story. You can choose to associate with those more likely to provide a positive context. I once heard someone say that you're the average of your five closest friends...

One thing is for sure: if Jesus is you closest friend, your context (if you follow him) will be one that builds a glorious identity - a great story. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith and he loves a good story.