John 15.12 "This is my commandment, love one another as I have loved you."
Let me first begin by saying, a year ago I wouldn't have thought I would be the type of person to start a blog post with a Bible verse. Then again, a year ago I wouldn't have thought a lot of things.
So what sits before us is one sentence; one sentence in a book filled with hundreds or perhaps thousands of usually very thin pages. Yet here, in one sentence, we get a great gist of Christianity. Easy enough to say Jesus. But.
If we are to take God at his word here (a dangerous idea), by these words alone I am sure as heck not very high up on the list of outstanding Christians. Most people I don't even love as much as myself, let alone my family, let alone the way God incarnate, unconditional lover and savior of humanity, loved when he walked upon this earth.
This is the challenge that has been placed before me, in various disguises, over the last few months. Whether in the words of Christian author Shane Claiborne, Blessed Mother Teresa, or Christ himself, I have been feeling the challenge to reach a new plane of love. Treating the people who I have contact with as if they were my family, (or scarier still) as if they were Jesus himself. Although some might say this is a 'cliche' or 'childish' view, what other conclusion can be drawn from "...love one another as I have loved you."
Shane Claiborne, is his book, The Irresistible Revolution, mentions a tiredness of a Christianity locked inside of the Church on Sundays. Where is the Christianity of the street? The Christianity of Jesus, the homeless wanderer who used to hang out with prostitutes and other social outcasts. By all means, I am not even remotely saying that Church on Sunday isn't worth going to. The opposite in fact, going to Church is how we can learn about our beautiful Lord, we can hear each other's stories and inspire each other during those "doldrums" of faith. However, it isn't too hard to see why Christianity is becoming increasingly unpopular if all people see is a bunch of folks going to Church and (dare I say it) not really putting a whole lot of daily walk behind that Sunday talk.
Moving to the more extreme side of things we have our Blessed Mother Teresa. I have been going about my daily comings and goings I have been thinking a lot about this modern day 'saint' Mother Teresa. She said that every time she touched a leper that she would not have been able to do it without the knowledge that she was touching the body of Christ himself. Mother Teresa really, truly believed that Christ was present in the people she served. I ask myself what my classes would be like if I imagined that little kid drawing on the desk were Jesus. I wonder what would be different if every time I saw the gentleman who sits and begs in the center of Tegucigalpa as Christ himself, legless and hungry.
If anyone reading this doesn't like tough issues without answers, sorry. Is there really an answer for the systemic poverty that plagues every country on this planet (albeit some more than others). If there is, I surely don't have it. All I know is I am a (pardon) hell of a long way away from "...that which you do for the least of my brothers, you do unto me." (paraphrased, but you get the idea).
God isn't asking us to move mountains (though supposedly we can). I think there is another great quote that is tossed aside to easily as a cliche, "It's not about doing big things, its about doing little things with big love."
I doubt that is exactly how it goes, but you get the idea. Thank you to everyone who is loving, praying, and supporting me from afar. You are in my prayers of thanksgiving.
If your interest has been sparked, I highly recommend the following books (but be careful, you might experience growth and change in the process):
Tattoos on the Heart, by: Gregory Boyle
The Irresistible Revolution, by: Shane Claiborne
The Bible, by: GOD (okay this one is kind of a joke)....
...or is it?
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