Shock and Awe.
During this time of year there is a great deal of talk about religion, politics, and war. It got me thinking about Jesus and those of us who claim some form of our identity from him. Maybe it is time for a little shock and awe Jesus-style.
Think about this: Jesus was not Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, or Southern Baptist. He wasn’t a leper, nor did he have AIDS. He was not a patriarch, nor was he a woman. He was not an Italian American or African American-- Jesus wasn’t an American. Jesus wasn't a white dude.
Jesus wasn’t a Democrat, Republican, or a member of the Green Party. Neither was he socialist, capitalist, or a communist. He wasn't a conservative or a liberal.
According to Henri Nouwen "Jesus was a revolutionary, who did not become an extremist, since He did not offer an ideology, but Himself. He was also a mystic, who did not use His intimate relationship with God to avoid the social evils of His time, but shocked His milieu to the point of being executed as a rebel."
Perhaps that is what the church is called to be-- revolutionaries.
Can Christians be revolutionaries without being extremists? Let us not use our intimate relationship with God to avoid the social evils of our time, but start a revolution by the way we love. Love is shocking.
What would it take for Christians to shock the world? Dare to shock the world. Start with your local church if you have to.
Be a rebel. I want to love so boldly that it shocks my peers and causes them to doubt my Christianity. I want my faith to count for something. Make religious folks nervous and the Jerry Fawells blush by the way you love the outsider.
I once heard commented: "Jesus claimed that the essence and work of God is love. In order to emerge we must follow Jesus into the world, see what Jesus saw, love like Jesus loved, so that we can do what Jesus did."
In a few days the hype will be over...
For we know that prophecies cease.
Tongues are stilled.
Knowledge passes.
But, love never fails.
Love always wins.
Love shocks.
Maybe it really is time for some shock and awe.
7 Comments:
deliciously inspirational words you're sharing here. go team!!!
ashley
great post rick! love shocks.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
OK, we'll try this again...
Thanks, Rick, for challenging us again. You reminded me of Stan Hauerwas & William Willimon's book, "Resident Aliens," and how most folks just don't want to know how counter-cultural Jesus is *really* calling us to be. Uncomfortable, but challenging stuff.
It also reminded me of a posting from another blog which referred to the Sojourner's "God is not a Republican, or a Democrat" campaign. You can see the whole petition on-line by going to (http://www.sojo.net/action/alerts/sojourners_petition.pdf).
Thanks for continuing to point us to Jesus, brother. That's where the answers are.
Rick thanks for stopping by my blog.
This post challenges me to consider some paradigm shifts on being a rebel. I really like your connection of Jesus intimate relationship with God and dealing with social issues. I am thinking about the "essence" of love. Like the essence of a perfume being rose oil and how can the essence of God's love in me become the base ingredient for my living radically.
Jesus was a revolutionary and He was way ahead of His time. In a world torn by war, conflict and uncertainty, Jesus' words are more relevant than ever.
Your post gives me more hope than you will ever know. I spent a lot of my formative years around Christians who used God to not only to avoid the social evils, but to justify a lot of their own pathologies. Very damaging stuff. That you for being a part of what seems to be a growing movement of Christ like Christians. It’s revolutionary!
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