Less Traveled

When Doing Nothing is Doing Something

"We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision" (Gary Collins).

When doing nothing is doing something:

"The King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.'

Then the King will say to those on his left, 'Go away from me. You will be punished. Go into the fire that burns forever that was prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you did not invite me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for me.'

Then those people will reply, 'Lord, whe did we see you hungry or thirsty or alone and away from home or without clothes or sick in prison? When did we see these things and did not help you?'

Then the King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you refused to do for me.'"

(Matthew 25:40-45)

Pondering Self

There's a delightful little phrase my mother used to repeat to me as a child whenever I was selfish and wanted both sides of the popsicle. I'm sure you've heard it: Jesus first. Others second. Yourself last. This, of course, spelled out the acronym JOY and was apparently the secret to a happy life. I had no problem with the idea of Jesus being first in my life, and I am pretty certain that if he had wanted half of the popsicle, I would have gladly given it to him. It was the next part of the ranking that disturbed me. Apparently all of humanity came second, and there I was at the bottom of the heap. Both my mother and Sunday School teachers conspired to indocrinate me with this belief so that I would forever willingly give up the other half of my popsicle. And it worked. If I want the whole popsicle, I eat it in secret.

This idea that we must put others first is a hard pill to swallow in a culture that values individuality and personal achievement. What we think of ourselves and the value we place on ourselves can either put us in competition with the world or in competition with Christ. I'd like to think that my desires for my own life doesn't have to mean that I become self-absorbed, self-centered, self-indulgent, self-interested, self-seeking, or self-serving. Further, I'm not so sure that loving myself automatically means that I will become a thoughtless, heartless, uncaring, ungenerous, unsympathetic, wordly pagan.

Jesus did, after all, tell us that we should "love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, and strength" and "love our neighbor as we love ourselves" (paraphrased, Matthew 22:37-39). That "as we love ourselves" part is interesting to me. I've heard some teachers suggest that we cannot love others until we love ourselves. Although it is true that many people who hate themselves find difficulty in loving others, I don't believe that love is something we muster up from within ourselves. "..love comes from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). Our love isn't born in us; it's from God.

I think it's the light of these scriptures (and many, many others) that put self into perspective. Although Jesus uses language like "deny yourself" (Luke 9:23), he certainly isn't calling for any sort of self-hatred or self-abasement, because that would contradict his good news of the Father's love for all humanity. I think we need to have a healthy love for self, the kind that loves ourselves as a part of the Father's love for humanity -- not beneath it, and certainly not above it. Self-hatred is just as much an injustice as hatred toward another.

"Love is not self-seeking" (1 Corinthians 13), and it certainly is not self-hating. Jesus does challenge our selfishness, he criticizes our consumerism, he confronts our self-obsession, and he objects to our greed. But he also heals our self-esteem and brings our broken image into alignment with his perfect one.

I'd like to think that the Spirit of Christ can help to rise us above our barbarism and survival of the fittest mentality into a lifestyle that is generous, open, loving, and merciful. I'd like to think that the more we love and give, the fuller our life will become. I'd like to think that churches and Christians could rise above collective self-absorbtion to bring hope and healing to broken people.

"If I am only for me, then what am I?" It's a great question. I promise you this, if we are only for ourselves, then we will never truly find the contentment, purpose, and joy of life that we've spent (or wasted) our lives looking for. "It is worthless to have the whole world if you lose your soul" (paraphrased, Matthew 16:26).

Redefining Greatness

"It was almost time for the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave the world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them all the way to the end.

Jesus and his followers were at the evening meal. The devil had already persuaded Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to turn against Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him power over everything and that he had come from God and was going back to God. So during the meal Jesus stood up and took off his outer clothing. Taking a towel, he wrapped it around his waist. Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him...

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and sat down again. He asked, 'Do you understand what I have just done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right because that is what I am. If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other's feet. I did this as an example so that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, a servant is not greater than his master. A messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.'"

Jesus took up a towel and redefined greatness.

John 13

No Coercion

I was brought up in a Christian tradition that firmly believed there was no room for coercion in matters of faith. The ancestors of my church heritage felt the sting of persecution in a European culture dominated by an exceedingly powerful church that was intertwined with government. They believed -- to their core -- that force was opposite to the Spirit of Christ and had no place in the Body of Christ.

The church, whenever it has been political and powerful, has trampled over men. Religion has often been used by people longing for power to manipulate, dictate, and control those "under their care". We've been witness to this throughout the grand events of history, but the same scenario can play itself out right down the street today. Religion, when it seeks power, is corrupted!

My spiritual forefathers were so certain of the corruptibility of power that they spread the leadership of the church across the Body. No longer would one man rule a church. They instead trusted the Holy Spirit to work through the Body and practiced the "priesthood of all believers". Those called by the church to special roles such as deacon or elder were still held accountable to the church.

Some Christian traditions are drawn to power and authority, seeming to make these things the pursuit of their faith. I can catch a glimpse of how they use scripture to justify such pursuits (primarily from certain episodes in the book of Acts), but I cannot find grounds for the pursuit of "power and authority" over men when I look at Jesus, the Cornerstone of our faith. The language of Jesus (as well as his example) is certainly powerful -- but his power (and ours!) is demonstrated in his mercy, forgiveness, justice, grace, and love.

No believer should ever practice a "power over people" faith. The example of Jesus requires us to practice a "power under" approach as we serve one another!

I make it clear to those I have spoken with who have come from abusive church environments that they have the freedom in Christ to remove themselves from any spiritual community which practices any form of coercion. The weapons of coercive behavior -- conrol, manipulation, and shaming -- possess no redeeming qualities and bring only destruction into the lives of those who live under it. People who live under such oppression know very little of the grace of God found in Jesus."Spiritual Fathers" who rule over their spiritual children and demand an unquestioning obedience do not exemplify the heart of the Father. They, instead, skew and distort the True Image of the Living God.

I live in agreement with my spiritual forefathers and believe that there should be no coercion in the Christian faith. None. As followers of Christ, we should be conscious of our use of manipulation, our desire to control and dictate, and our employment of shame as a tool to get another human being to act according to our prejudices. Not only should we ask the Holy Spirit for this awareness, but we should seek to imitate Christ in these matters and bring our lives into alignment with his.

Let us not seek power, but let us seek Christ.

Me Church -- Video

Here's a product for anyone who worships at the church of self.

Enjoy.

Video Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9dvVp0Nxjo

Father

Sent

31 Hours a Day

There was some research released recently based on a study in the United Kingdom and in the United States that found that typical urban middle class people now have so many timesaving devices that they can squeeze into 24 hours the same quantity of tasks that used to take 31 hours only ten years ago. Multitasking has dramatically increased our productivity, and the result is that we are squeezing more and more into our 24.

And this multitasking doesn't end with our work day. We are multitasking at home, sometimes carrying on as many as three tasks at once (watching TV, talking on the phone, and internet social networking). For the first time in history, eating has taken second place to internet activities in the evening at home.

When I first read this study (admittedly while surfing the internet), I immediately wondered about the social consequences of our evolution. It only makes sense that the more we compress into our day, the more something else is going to be forced out. I have a feeling that it is our relationships that are being strangled. Clearly, Americans are spending less time face to face with our friends and family in meaningful connectedness. Social networking and mobile communications give the impression that we are connected, but they are a poor substitute for the flesh and blood intimacy that our humanity requires -- and the relationships that we were created to have.

Thirty-one hours a day sounds like a formula for disaster. And while employers are rewarding our abilities to multitask, the cost to families, friendships, and wholeness of life maybe taking its toll.

I enjoy the simplicity of life spent with people. To love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves seems to be at the center of the message of Jesus. Love is pretty shallow when it's reduced only to words or an idea, but it takes on a greater depth in the time spent with the people we care about. If we're going to sacrifice anything to "get ahead", it seems to me that we ought to be sacrificing some of those things consuming the quantity of our existence in order to ensure some quality to our life.

"Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live" (Margaret Fuller).

"We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years" (George Carlin).

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23).

The Center

Indifference