That's Me in the Corner, That's Me in the Spot...Light

To get some work done this morning, I rode by bike to a local coffee shop. It has been my office over the last two weeks because we just got internet access at the house. It is also a good excuse to people watch with the hope that I can see what the Father is doing in the people of our area.

I did something that felt really foolish. I even started to sweat a little because it felt like I committed a public and cultural faux pas: I opened my Bible at the table to write about Matthew 9. All of a sudden it seemed that all of the air in the room was sucked out by the collective gasping and that the spotlight was on me. The spotlight makes me sweat. I don't like to sweat for that reason.

Of course that is not how is actually was, but the two ladies sitting with me at our shared table did notice...but didn't let on. Their conversation up until that point was about what power moms talk about: science projects, how to juggle the things they are involved in at their kid's school, what programs to put their children in his summer in order to better them, and how to manage the chaos of renovating a home.

The pace of their conversation was feverish to the point that I was getting out of breath. Well, not really, but I was amazed that they had enough breath to keep up with one another. As soon as they

recognized that a Bible came out, though, there was a brief, but noticeable pause. The conversation changed to talk about how to handle in-law's expectations about religion and how they want kids to be able to think about their worldview for themselves.

They sounded religious. They sounded as if they wanted their kids to be better for being religious.

They are strivers and striving to have a better life is a sacred, Western cultural value. There aren't any sculpted statues that extoll "striving" but there are the little lives that are being shaped everyday to be "strivers" like their parents. Smaller images reflecting the values that mom and dad aspire to.

I saw it clearly, because I live that so dearly. I am fearful of losing my (striving) religion.

The reason why people do not treasure the gospel of the cross is not that people have to give up specific sins. We give up specific sins all of the time in order to be accepted in our own eyes and in the eyes of society. The problem is giving up THE sin, the sin that defines and motivates us: "I made myself somebody!"

The desire of the flesh is to be able to stand on top of the world and say "I am somebody because I got myself here!" It shows itself in many ways, but mostly it shows itself in not wanting to hear the truth that we are really helpless. The gospel does not make sense to many because it does not reflect sacred cultural values. We do not have categories for it.

As I sit here and type those two ladies have gone on to try to conquer life's chaos. I am still writing this because I am asking the question, how do I communicate a message of Christ's weakness actually being real strength? How do I communicate to people that real life is found, not in striving to be the best "me" I can be through any kind of religion, but in being foolish with the King of Fools?

How can people who religiously strive to be somebody ever let go and see that Jesus is all the Somebody we need?

Spirit, 
We try to live as if we can work hard enough that you might owe us something, be in our debt. I want to earn things, demand things from you. I want to be entitled to good things. But, will you please show us another way? Will you please open the eyes of those who are blinded by self-promotion and show them something radically different? I do not have the words to show them what you have shown me. Will you please do miracles in the lives of the people we are around? Please write the gospel so deeply on our hearts that we cannot help but share what we have seen an heard of you.