Just wastin time...

Well instead of studying as I should I have decided to continue my procrastination efforts by blogging. I am sure my Greek will still be available upon my completion of my ramblings, and in the end I just hope to have regained some learning vigor so I can finally dominate my Greek participles which seem to be taking me for a loop!

I finished reading the Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre the other day. It is a great book, and definitely brings forth many questions to ponder concerning our view of Jesus. It is funny how quickly we assume a monopoly over Jesus. I mean, it seems to me that within the church it becomes so easy to believe that God is on our side, or that Jesus agrees with us. And the more conservative circles will proclaim this idea from the top of their lungs, although now God on our side is hinged upon us doing the proper things. I mean surely God would not align himself with us if we did not hold proper views on abortion, homosexuality, or women in office! I think all too often us doing the right things turns our minds to thoughts that we deserve to be loved by God. I mean why wouldn’t God want to love us? Look at all the great things we do for him, look at all the religion we have set up to assure that we are agreeing with him (or is it him with us?).

The danger in this whole idea that we deserve his love I believe lies in the fact that as soon as we see ourselves as deserving we see others as not. Soon the church becomes a clique where some people are in and others are out (heaven or hell). Soon the people have to clean up their lives before they are able to come to the church. Where in scripture does Jesus call people to be clean before they approach him? Jesus is continually interacting with the despised people of society in their own element. I often take a look around churches and wonder why so many of us are white middle class Americans. Where are the marginalized in our societies? Well for one, we have definitely alienated ourselves from them. We continually move, we build fences (they may not be physical but they are socio-economic), and develop a society where we are not forced to interact with the poor, the addict, and the homeless.

I was listening to a podcast by Rob Bell the other week (entitled Jesus Wants To Save Christians VII) if anyone wants to check it out. He talks about how so often we use our wealth to isolate ourselves. We use it and although often times we may not know it, we alienate ourselves from our neighbor in need. Thus the person who says, Lord when did I see my neighbor in need? May indeed not have seen his neighbor in need, but he didn’t see him because he spent his life building a life which prevented the interaction. I don’t know, money is difficult. I don’t have much of it so it is easy for me to say these things. The fact of the matter still is though that I have little interaction with the poor. There are 3 homeless men who walk around campus asking for change. I have not talked to them; I walk by pretending I don’t notice. How is this exhibiting the caring life of Christ? Even here on seminary I avoid actually living a life of Christ, I think too often I feel as if I am learning about him but not learning to live him. I have a lot to learn.

I am not trying to drag my church through the mud or anything. I like it a lot, but when they began speaking of a multi-million dollar building project to move the church into a much higher class neighborhood I began to wonder if we had lost the focus. How is spending millions of dollars on a building helping the poor, the widow, the homeless, especially if the poor, widow, and homeless will never make it into that neighborhood? I think it is rather funny how my home Church claims to take the Bible so literally on issues concerning women in office, homosexuality, and other “hot issues” but Jesus’ commands to sell all your possessions, give to the poor, and care for the marginalized in society are rationalized to the point of allowing for the building of a multi-million dollar building instead of seeking out a mission to those which society has left behind.

I don’t know my thoughts are jumbled, I’m just trying to work this out. I began reading a book by Shane Claiborne called Irresistible Revolution in which he discusses the possibility of a society which is truly generous and caring. It inspires me, it scares me, and honestly it makes me completely uncomfortable because I know I am so far from truly enacting such a society out. Gosh, life is tough, but it is beautiful. I love ya all, and hope that whoever might come across this little rambling has a good day. And being as my parents are likely the only ones who read this, could you send me some more puppy chow?? :-)