3xl here, from sunny Minneapolis.
Along with all the hullabaloo of the Olympics there in China, here, there was a sad story that touched many in Minneapolis. A century old plus local business(and remember that this is young America) belonging to Christian family here in the Twin Cities, lost the CEO of that firm in China as a result of a tragic and random attack.
The family are a very close one and known to many in the area for their generous charitable work, and donations, their daughter who was an Olympic volleyball player in former years and was married to the present Olympic men's volleyball coach, was there at the time but was unhurt. Her mother was hurt but is now recovering from her wounds. The man who attacked them, killed himself by jumping to his death apparently as randomly as he attacked these strangers.
After the initial shock and sadness, letters began to pour in to the family from all over the world expressing sorrow, hurt and comfort. The family both natural and opted-in spoke with one voice about forgiveness dealing with the sorrow in grace and with a heart of trust in Father God who receives such ones as the this dear brother to Himself.
One of the letters that was made public came from New Zealand where the coach of the US team hails from. It said something like this. On hearing of the heart of forgiveness from the family and from the son in law he wrote,
"...He is a class act and has married in to a class family..."
No mention was made of whether this person believed in God, shared the faith of the family or knew them in that regard but this person recognized "class" as he put it, when he saw the forgiveness being spoken of and the grace that issued forth from this great family.
When people look at our lives and actions and when they assess what kind of people we are, how do we feed or not, their presuppositions and prejudices and what does that do for the Lord and the Kingdom that He brought to us?
Do not misunderstand me,I am well aware that anyone who calls religious authority figures white washed tombs, is not out to win any popularity or Mr Congenial awards. Speaking the truth, and being more interested in that than other people's views is something that we all need to learn from Jesus. I mean have you really read Galatians 5 :12, way to go Paul there.
I am also not talking about Mr Luther's peccadilloes either that the bracelet wearing,"what would Jesus NOT do" (probably not wear one of those perhaps)seem to find so important, or as the Lord perhaps put it, the tithing of the dill and cumin, no, I am talking about direction, faithfulness in the hard times and grace under fire, not in the Mall alone.
Now I am not going to bore you with all these lovely pictures of when you scratch me then Jesus bleeds out, or when you squeeze me only love drips out, and all that stuff, I mean, after all I am a cynical middle aged man and I do have a bad reputation to keep up so let me do that.
I have to say though that I greatly honor what I see in a person, that is truly kingdom centered, and speaks as if Heaven was much more real that this world around us, especially when that which you love has been so cruelly taken from you.
You see I tire of faithless Christianity that has more hedges and get out clauses than a crooked fund manager. I grow weary of people proof texting the Bible to justify their ideas and actions, but not quick to listen to Christ, or act as if prayer was really meaningful, and actually made a difference, or plan their great endeavors with more thinking than listening to God, and little more than a cursory opening prayer, especially if they have their backers lined up already.
It is distressing to hear people speaking as if they believed in God, whilst all the while acting as if they did not. I dislike people doing things and then justifying them rather tortuously from the Bible, or using something God did and is noted in the Bible to justify their present actions, as if God only worked that way, or with a kind of unspoken belief that, if it worked once why not again, and how could God complain anyway since it worked for David/Moses etc and He liked it then.
Then there is the other tack where we compel God to do what He said He would.... once...a few thousand years ago...in a different situation...with people He knew better than some of us.
A kind of legal executive order(or headlock) is put on God, because once He did something one way. Or as one preacher said it, "God MUST answer your prayers...." Now remind me who God was again and who you are ? Maybe you should read some Job for an hour or two for some context realignment therapy methinks.
Reminds me of that well known muppet song:-
Manna manna, it stinks the next day,
Manna manna watch for those worms
Manna manna you shouldn't use what,
is not for your use. unless God has said so. Dah dah dah dah...
Repeat till learned....
Old Manna, old wine skins, context distortion, and the like are all great ways to use the Bible in a way that creates loss, hurt, and ultimately doubt in nice humble, honest, people and legitimizes and justifies abuse from some who are not. It seems to come from what we bring to the Bible rather than the Bible itself, in terms of the philosophy and culture that we attach rather than the words that are read themselves. I feel a PhD coming on later, but enough of that for now, lets see if I am smart enough to get the masters first.
So what is class and grace, and what is authenticity? Why is 3xl such a meanie and the like. Well let me assure you that I am not talking about perfection and 100% assuredness of every course of action that we take, a kind of sinless perfection and direction as it were. The amazing preacher Wesley talks about perfection in mind and intent, of a heart and mind fully given over to the Lord that seeks even imperfectly to honor the Lord in all they do, even though perfection in action may not be attained. Hmmm...Were Enoch and Elijah perfect, since their passing to Glory, to be with God was sans mort as the Francais say. I do not know, but as Billy Shakes said in his classic play PorkLease (name changed to preserve anonymity and copyright), "there are more things in Heaven and Earth Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
My point is this, that God will not be limited to any corralling, delineation of His omnipotence, or any systematizing of what you decide he can do, just by what was written about Him, or any abrogation of His power and Authority just because we interpret the Bible a certain way. HE IS GOD... so deal with it, as they say.
The scriptures are written to reveal a person who is life and that eternal, not merely to legally sustain and support our claim on eternity by a cerebral working out of the angles, and the things we can and can not do, and also the things we can do now, but be forgiven for later hopefully, a kind of "unclenomianism:" I guess.
If your reading of the Bible introduces you to a system for salvation, fire insurance rather than the fireman, then I fear that you have missed meeting someone very important to you in that process. The Lord Jesus.
So what does class look like? It is a man capable of the destruction of all His enemies, righteously and justly, who remains nailed to a cross until all He came to do, exemplify and live out on Earth was done. It is one who brings life in the midst of their own death, and in dying brings hope to countless others.
It is the forgiveness given from a broken heart, that understands that forgiveness is never deserved, be the offense occasioning it, great or small. It is the response of a heart that is about redeeming and releasing, rather than binding and judging, and about a valuing of life, far above a yearning for the wrongdoers death.
It is class, it is grace, it is what love looks like when it pops its head out, it is the unbelievable forgiveness that is normal currency in the kingdom of God. It is truly beautiful to God and to me.
3xl signing out, humbled by the sight of God, as seen in His close family, shining brightly in the midst of darkness that never comprehends grace, and causes even the angels themselves to wonder.
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