When
we’ve chosen sides,
when
it’s Us and Them,
the
spear rips through His Side
and
Christ has died again.
OK,
time for another pop quiz.
In
the past weeks, did you feel a quiet sense of satisfaction seeing protestors
topple statues dear to folks you don’t really like? “About time!”
In
the past few weeks, did you feel a sense of quiet satisfaction in seeing
protestors with whom you do not agree tear-gassed? “About time!”
If
you can honestly say you didn’t, go to the head of the line and St. Peter will
ask for your autograph as you pass through Heaven’s gates.
Otherwise,
for the rest of us (myself included)…well, “Uh, oh.”
But
wait! Jesus, He’s on the side of Right, and He would have been out there in the
crowd, leading a chant!
That’s
what the zealots thought. You know…like, Judas?
Yeah,
there ya go…Jesus, man, He was law and
order…render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s!
Comfortable
over there, standing next to Caiaphas?
Jesus
Christ was not a revolutionary, ready to take His place on the barricades,
Molotov cocktail in hand. That disappointed the zealots, and that’s why Judas
betrayed Him.
Nor
was He a strong supporter of the establishment, counseling full cooperation
with the authorities. That’s why the Pharisees feared Him, and that’s why they
arranged to have Him killed.
Jesus
had a fairly simple message. Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor
as yourself.
We’re
not doing too well with this.
Every
time we shake our fists at the cops, every time we give a demonstrator the
finger, every time we wish ill on Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi, we’re
crucifying our Lord, all over again.
I
hate Jesus, this I know;
He’s
so blind He will not see,
He
won’t go where I would go,
He
will not agree with me.
He’s
a rebel ‘gainst our rule
(He’s
a pawn of Pharisees),
He’s
become the zealots’ tool
(He
wants us to die on knees).
We’ll
find a way to make it seem
(He
won’t raise His fist and shout),
that
every day He doth blaspheme
(for
silver we can sell Him out).
Either
way, we will not choose
to
accept His version of Good News.
We've made a plastic Jesus, just like the song (first heard in Cool Hand Luke), and here performed by Billy Idol. We've done this, and we have to deal with it...with, perhaps, some wry humour.
I do try to answer each comment in a timely fashion, but with Internet providers really stretched, I have only about half of the access I once did. Please bear with me!
Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback soon.
Wow! Stepping on toes but truth.
ReplyDeleteMandy, thank you so much! I was reluctant to hit 'publish'; and it was hard to write.
DeleteThought provoking - "we are not to do what is right in our own eyes, but what is right in the sight of God" - but even that is fraught with danger, as every side can claim that God is on their side! The only way is back to basics to love God with all, with everything, and out of that to love each other....Thank you for your direct and honest reflections!
ReplyDeleteSharon, thank you for this, and you're so right...we have to get back to the basics of loving God and one another, or we're truly lost.
DeleteAnd time may be running out.
Very apt and very true Andrew! We want Jesus to conform to us and our way of thinking.! How wrong we are.
ReplyDeletexx
Thank you so much, Fiona...and we are indeed so wrong. XX
DeleteAndrew, a thought provoking post. Grateful our Lord is more than plastic, that He is alive and living. May our hearts be molded by His truth and be receptive to His Word. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteJoanne, well-said, and thank you! Blessings back!
DeleteVery convicting.
ReplyDeleteGrams, thank you for this, and for being here.
Deletewhoa. right to the heart. thought provoking, as usual. thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteMariel, thank YOU.
DeleteYou did it...again.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thank you. Truly.
DeleteThank you for the (painful but much needed) reminder!
ReplyDeleteSimplySoulSearching, thank you for these words, and for being here.
DeleteSome of your words are nearly echoes of the words a trusted Christian brother spoke to me this week. Do you have a microphone planted somewhere that I should know about? =)
ReplyDeleteAmie, no microphone, I'm afraid...if there was one you'd know about it because I have a true talent for setting up feedback in audio systems with the most awesome heterodyne howl imaginable. Kind of like all the cats in Kansas getting into a no-holds-barred rumble.
DeleteThanks so much for dropping by!
((((Andrew))))
ReplyDeleteAnnie in Texas
((((((Annie!))))))
DeleteI'm glad you're here!
so often we do not see
ReplyDeletewhat our actions really mean
Open Lord our eyes
so we can see what we despise
Actions speak louder than words
Are we truly showing God's words?
Think it through.
is God speaking through you?
Annette, this is just beautiful. Thank you so much for bringing this lovely, haunting poem to the discussion!
DeleteIt's not always easy loving everyone and not to point that finger :( I am pleased our God is so forgiving. Well put Andrew :)
ReplyDeleteSo good, Andrew. Excellent. Now for a comment I made to a comment about the spiritual battle we're in ... made on FB. It made me think of your post. One of my friends was despairing as if all is lost.
ReplyDelete"Thank you for caring. God's people need to humble themselves. People need the Lord. The battle represents the need. Blindness is not only in the world it is also in the church. I want to shout (in my quiet voice), "wake up, people!" Our prayers--yours and whomever will join me--will change us, too. We'll actually be praying for their souls, hearts, problems, and that will transform our message to one of light and life, because we will be like simple fishermen who came when Jesus said, "'Come follow Me.' I believe this with all my heart." I had posted an invite to join me in praying for our nation on my nlbrumbaugh.com site (A Call to Prayer). Anyone is welcome to join me in open-ended praying on Wed. @ 9:00 AM
This made me think. Hard. Thank you (and hello Barb).
ReplyDeleteConvicting words here, Andrew. Thanks for the reminder that, if we want to be like Jesus, we need to love like He does. You didn't have me till you mentioned Nancy Pelosi (and others like her came to mind). Yup, I'm not above a bit of animosity, it seems. Bringing this to the Lord for help right now.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for you and Barb, my friend.