Faith, Hope, and Beer..I Mean Love
I wanted to follow up my previous discussion-inducing post with something lighter like bunnies and rainbows, but let's be serious.
I came to a realization last night that my thoughts, understandings, beliefs have no impact on what other people think, understand, believe, save that I can share them and perhaps enlighten everyone around me (read: stuck-up, egotistical jerk-face). There was some intense discussion last night at the Globe over wings about guns and whether or not a society with guns is polite/safe. It soon became apparent that there were differing beliefs on the issue. For instance, the idea of "greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend" was completely ridiculous to some, and no matter what I believe on the issue or how I try to persuade someone, they will not be changed by my belief. The same is true of my perception of life, the universe, and everything. Just because I know the truth about God as Creator (insert questioning remarks here) doesn't mean that it helps a homeless person and just because I might have a deeper understanding of the Bible (and here) doesn't mean other Christians see it or are affected by it.
I was despairing over this fact and what the value of knowledge and understanding is if it only benefits me and I must take it to the masses. And then I thought of 1 Corinthians 13:
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
And there it is. Knowledge and revelation are gifts from God to be sure, but love is what it's all about. People don't want you to preach at them or change them or debate with them (well, some do), they want and need love. The trick, I guess, is to find the balance, as Christ did, between teaching in parables and simply extending love, between furthering understanding and meeting needs.
It's kind of like drinking beer...no, not even I can pull that off.
posted by Chuck @ 10:07 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I think these blogs of ours and this amazing blog ring that we have established has given us a little more (too much?) gusto in our philosophic preachy-ness. This is a safe place for us to spew ideas, opinions, thoughts and concerns without being burned at the stake (too violently, anyhow) and that is hard not to transfer over into life.
We have alll been re-evaluating our ideas about church, philosophy, orthodoxy, evangelism etc. so intensely that these ideas, whether new or old, are exciting to us and we desire to share them. However, I think you've touched on a point that we all need to struggle with. No matter how earth shaking, or exciting these ideas are to us, crusade-ing them (dare I use that term) around, even with each other, can be dangerous if we do not temper our excitement with love. Love is the driving cause for all of this right? Christ's love for us, ours for Him, and in turn, ours for our neighbors.
That's why we have our community, to learn how to love, and show it. I don't by any means say this because I do not enjoy our philosophical edge of late, I LOVE it! But I need to remember, as you have stated here, that the way I perceive anything is irrelevant when dropped in the lap of someone else. How I show them love, however, is what matters in the end.
So you're saying that I should take back the two assault rifles that I bought last night? I hope the guy's van is still parked in the same place.
I have an honest query - not to be taken as rhetorical, sarcastic or didactic. Was Jesus loving the Pharisees and Sadducees when he called them a generation of vipers? If so, what sort of love might that be? If not, could it have possibly been a sarcastic comment? Or what?
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Big Yass,
I'd go as far as to say that a good test for emerging philosophies and theologies is to challenge and inquire in this way.
"Is this causing me to love others (and myself) more fully and more deeply? Or is it causing me to be more suspicious, angry and impatient with others?"
doesn't really matter how popular or unpopular the view is. Just, "Does the damn thing help me to be more kind and loving?"
I second Rob's comment: What's up with Jesus and the Pharisees? I've been wondering about this for a while now - how does love affect our speach? How did love affect Jesus' speach?
Poor, Poor Chuck. :-)
Paul is absolutely right - everything must be judged by teh standard of love. When Jesus confronted the Pharisees etc, it was loving; just not the sunshiney, happy butterflies and picnics with teddy bears kind of love. Christ's love for the people they were leading astray drove him to speak. His love for the Pharisees themselves, and his desire for them to live a right kind of relationship with God drove him to speak.
Christ's love was always rehabilitative. So ours should be. Christ was always challenging people to be more and live better than they were. Whether he was confronting or healing, he always wanted to leave people better than he found them. That is the heart of the Gospel, after all.
When Christ called them a generation of vipers, or a white washed tomb, etc, I think he said it with tears in his eyes and sorrow and loss in his voice. He loved those Pharisees as much as he loves me, and he despaired for the way they lived their lives and made others live their lives.
Maybe its just because my heart has become so sensitive to anger and suspicision lately. I have a hard time seeing Christ being TRULY angry. (despite what I read in John 2) I have to admit it; I hate anger, and I think I even may be afraid of it a bit.
"I think he said it with tears in his eyes and sorrow and loss in his voice." I think this is a sensitive and gracious comment, Matt. I don't know if my reading of the story supports this interpretation of Jesus' tone, but I like the idea.
"Brood of vipers" rings with condemnation. I have been places in the world where there are such things as snake pits - Kamloops, BC; Moab, Utah. They freak me out, and the thought of falling into one quickly ramps up to phobia. The humour of Indiana Jones' Lost Ark snake predicament notwithstanding.
Be not afraid. But be not of a generation of vipers. I'm still not sure I'm clear on how it was Jesus was loving people like the temple changers and religious rulers. Love God, your neighbour as yourself, just make sure your neighbour isn't a viper-pharisee?
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