God created people because He loves stories
We had a great time at the U2 concert last night. We were in the last row of the third level of American Airlines Arena, but it didn’t matter. We were in the same room. Much love to my friend Brad for getting the tickets for us.
One of the highlights for me was Bono’s operatic rendition of Miss Sarajevo, especially when filtered through the “Sometimes . . .” lyric “You’re the reason why the opera is in me.”
Biggest disappointment: “Bad” was nowhere to be found on the set list.
“I’m going out to buy a lemon” I say to my wife.
She says, “It’s 40 degrees out there.”
“What are you talking about? It’s a beautiful day in October. I’m going with or without you,” I say as I slam the door and ponder my bride’s mysterious ways.
I’m walking along and I see a boy flying his kite.
I say, “Nice elevation.”
He says, “Walk on, buddy. There’s nothing to see here.”
I’m in no mood for a war, so I keep moving, trying not to get stuck in a moment that I can’t get out of. I come to a street corner and look up at the signs so as to place myself, but I’m in a neighborhood where the streets have no name.
It’s colder than I thought and my hands are almost numb. I never thought it would be this cold in Miami. I slip into the discotheque to warm up. It’s like a city of blinding lights in there. The strobes make me see spots, just like when I’ve been staring at the sun. Overwhelmed with vertigo, I stumble back outside and nearly trip over a guy sprawled out on the concrete.
“Wake up dead man, ” I say.
He stirs and asks for a little silver and gold.
“All I’ve got to give is mercy, friend, and maybe a little bit of grace. Soon enough even that’ll all be gone.”
He says, “Please sir, give me just one of whatever you’ve got. I’ve played the wanderer all my life and I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. Now I’m running to stand still.”
I’ve got too much pride to tell him I feel the same way.
Anybody want to guess what concert I’ll be at on Saturday night?
I’ll probably come back and expand on this thought later, but for now I want to throw it out and see how it lands.
We are are so concerned with being biblical that we are not free to follow Jesus.
Imagine that you and God are standing face to face. When God looks at you, what expression do you see on his face? Is he mad, sad, glad? Do you make God frown, scowl, or smile?
I heard somewhere that the majority of college students who are asked this question say that God is angry with them. From the look on his face, they say it’s obvious that God doesn’t like them very much.
I have a theory that goes something like this: our attitude toward “sinners” (see previous post) has a lot to do with the expression we think God has on his face when he looks at us.
Our view of God dictates, to a large degree, how we treat others.
Now imagine that you are one of the sinners at Levi’s table in Luke 5:27-32. Jesus is there eating and drinking with you. As he hands you a hunk of bread, what look do you see on his face?
Look closely.
You’re looking at the face of God.
The look on his face tells you exactly how God feels about you.
Jesus said it would be hard to get people to trade in the old wine for the new (Luke 5:33-39).
2000 years after Jesus first started eating with sinners we still find ourselves gravitating toward the old.
One of the ways in which we are most unlike the Jesus we follow is seen in our inability or unwillingness to accept sinners as they are, to love them as they are, long before they ever think of repenting.
The greatest crisis facing most churches in America is not one of dwindling finances or diminishing attendance. It?s that our ministry in the world, our way of being in the world, looks so unlike the ministry of Jesus in the gospels.
Whether we want to admit it or not, if we ask the typical, non-church-going, irreligious “sinner” in our culture to describe Christians, they’re not going to describe Jesus.
They’re going to describe the Pharisees, even though they may not know who the Pharisees are.
They’re going to describe a people whose default setting is condemnation and judgement and exclusion, rather than love and grace and acceptance.
This means that we have to be willing to go above and beyond the usual pleasant courtesies in order to break through the suspicion and the hardness of heart that we’ve helped create.
Before we call sinners to repentance or before we challenge their lifestyle choices, we have to do everything we can to convince them that we love and accept them just as they are. Because what they are, are human beings created in the image of God.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
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