Bill, Sean, Anderson, & Jesus.
"Defend the weak and the orphans; defend the rights of the poor and suffering. Save the weak and helpless; free them from the power of the wicked."You know nothing. You don't understand. You walk in the dark, while the world is falling apart. I said, 'You are "gods." You are all sons of God Most High." Psalm 82
Hmmm. Defend the weak and the orphans?
Defend the rights of the poor and suffering?
Save the weak and helpless?
Free them from the power of the wicked?
I wonder what Bill O'Reilly would think of this?
Sean Hannity?
CNN?
Politicians?
Liberal agenda?
(We no longer have to fear the Russians, so we need some mythic power to fear and hate)
Conservative right?
Or a prophetic call from our Creator?
Sons (and daughters of God)?
One nation under God?
In God we trust?
Are we walking in the dark while the world is falling apart?
Stone those preachers who claim to speak
for God; kill those who dare to speak
for justice and mercy?
"Again some of the people picked up stones to kill Jesus."
It seems that a lot of folks wanted to kill Jesus.
We religious folks seem to like to throw rocks.
We like to crush those who we oppose.
We like to silence those with whom we disagree.
But he said to them, "I have done many good works from the Father.
Which of these good works are you killing me for?"
They answered, "We are not killing you because of any good work you did, but because you speak against God. You are only a human, but you say you are the same as God!" Jesus answered, "It is written in your law that God said, 'I said, you are gods.'(Psalm 82)
Who are the weak and orphans?
Who are the poor and suffering?
Defend their rights?
Who are the weak and helpless?
God cares about the weak?
The poor?
The suffering?
The helpless?
That sounds a bit like a hand-out in the 21st century, don't you think?
Sounds a little like a wicked liberal scheme, perhaps?
"This Scripture called those people gods who received God's message, and Scripture is always true."
So why do you say that I speak against God because I said, 'I am God's Son'? I am the one God chose and sent into the world. If I don't do what my Father does, then don't believe me..."
"But if I do what my Father does, even though you don't believe in me, believe what I do. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Jesus doesn't really believe that those who call him Teacher, Master, Lord, or God when united can actually do greater works, does he? Does he really expect me to follow him?
Am I walking in the dark?
1 Comments:
Your previous post (Walmart vs. Target) and this one have touched a nerve with me, and my response is related to both. I attend a good church, have been blessed and fed there, but my experience has really frustrated me at times. We have many ministries that are probably necessary to the care and discipleship of the members, but not much going on for the people around us in our community. One of our biggest fundraisers during the year is to offset the cost for families who want to attend our annual parish retreat! Could we not use that time and the money to minister to those in our midst who are really in need?
The only thing I can relate it to is a multi-level marketing organization. We say we have a unique and amazing product to offer (here the grace and mercy and saving love of Jesus Christ), yet instead of blanketing the population with samples and sales of the product, we are really only interested in recruiting people for our own benefit, success that will make us "stars" at the convention (see how their membership has grown! how many ministries they have! etc.) But who are we really loving, as a local church? Or does the church just exist for the benefit of the members, who are then motivated to go off on their own and feed the hungry, literally and figuratively?
These are questions I wrestle with in my dissatisfaction with attending and being involved in church. I know as a Christian I need to worship, but at times don't want anything to do with "church". I am beginning to think it's because I have assumed that being in a church would unite me with other Christians and then our love for others will somehow be concentrated and magnified for the community around us, but it seems that the opposite happens. We have become insulated, isolated and self-serving, the very antithesis of Jesus Christ.
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