grateful for Christ

May it be said of us Christians that we are weak and foolish, for in these God is strong and wise.  That “God’s power is made perfect in weakness” is not merely an encouraging bible verse to be printed on inspirational magnets and bookmarks; rather, it is the reminder for us that there are no strong heroes in God’s kingdom–only paupers who believe and therefore speak and act.

The world worships heroes, admiring their strength, cunning, and ability to stem the rising tide.  Our arts and entertainment tip our cultural hand and reveal the innermost thoughts and desires of our hearts.  Through sheer training, skill, and determination our heroes do what we in our hearts wish we could do.  But our hearts are misguided and, thus, so are the hearts of our heroes.

Where the world says that heroes fight evil people to protect the innocent, Christ declares the standard by which all the world is to be judged and condemned, for who has ever loved God and their neighbor without fail?  And if all are guilty, must not our hero defeat himself?  Who can be a hero but one who is good, and who is good but God alone?  Rise, you who have never sinned, and show us the light.  Rise from our ranks and light the world.  Alas, is there none among men who can answer the call?

Christ came from heaven, the Son of the Living God, and became a human.  He came in weakness, not conquering the world by show of force or refuting by argument every lie.  Instead, He played His part faithfully and exited the stage.  By God’s own design and by His power, the otherwise small part that the incarnate Son played as a homeless preacher and miracle worker became, through the death of the player, the rescue of the world from its archenemy: sin and death.  This is the “foolishness of the cross” of which Paul speaks.

And yet Christians today (and throughout history) have thrown away their unique strength-in-weakness and instead found strength in strength, just like every non-believer on the planet.  Where Christ loved His enemies to the point of being murdered by them without calling on His Father’s armies to come to His aid, Christians today arm themselves with guns and say prayers before entering the battlefield.  Rather than preach the truth and leave the rest to God, as did Christ, Christians today stage protests, lobby vigorously, and engage in legal wrangling to force good behavior on evil people.

I don’t have much more to say.  Let me instead show you what one who lives the life of Christ looks like:

There was a single woman who worked two jobs to support her children.  On her first day at one of her jobs, she had told her boss the good news of God’s kingdom, but he had rejected it on account of the hypocrisy of Christians.  Every week, that employer found reasons to dock her pay, even though this was illegal, and every week the woman thanked the man for her paycheck and went home.  Without her full paycheck, she could only afford to pay the bills and give what remained to those in need, never having anything left over.

One day, the woman’s pastor called her into his office because a close friend had told the pastor of the woman’s dire financial situation.  Intending to offer her a discounted rate on the upcoming Dave Ramsey Financial University program at the church, he asked what gave her particular trouble about managing her finances.  She replied that the Lord always provided what she and her children needed materially, and then asked the pastor to pray that she might better love her Lord.  The pastor probed deeper into the reason for her meager funds, insisting that God wants His children to have material blessings, as well.  She explained her manager’s actions.  The pastor was indignant.  He advised her to speak with a lawyer–suggesting a prominent church member who happened to be in that profession–so that the courts could rectify the situation.  Firmly and swiftly the woman rebuked the errant pastor, asking him how she could preach to her manager about the limitless love and forgiveness of God while at the same time battling him for a few dollars that God could provide in an instant.  The pastor explained that God doesn’t expect Christians to just let people walk all over them, and asked how Christianity could survive with such tactics.  In response, the woman asked how Christianity could even have started with its founder dead, then she blessed the pastor, asking God to give him wisdom, and returned home.

Week after week for three years the woman prayed for her boss.  For a long time, the boss grew meaner and meaner, docking her so much that she had to moonlight with a third job on occasion just to have enough left over to share with those in need.  One day, however, she received a phone call in which her manager confessed his confusion over her perseverance and lack of retaliation for his actions.  She responded by telling him once again the good news of God’s kingdom.  That very day the angels in heaven rejoiced because another lost soul was saved.

As for the pastor, he grew in power and influence, eventually moving into politics and ending up as a senator arguing for the necessity of waterboarding as a non-torturous method of coercion to protect the nation from terrorists.  When He stood before Christ at the end of his life, did Christ know him?  Only God knows.

As for me, I know what path I will follow.  Will you entrust yourself to God and live the life of Christ?