Good input from several people after the "Subversive Love" sermon!
Some of you shared with me about situations in which you're dealing with "enemies"--individuals who are working against you or are antagonistic toward you because of your faith. Jesus' teaching in Luke 6 is not theoretical for you. You're trying to understand how to live "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" in the trenches of real life. I'm praying for Jesus' grace and strength for you because I know it's really hard. I also know that Jesus can and will show himself through you as you stay in there.
A couple of you suggested Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, to me because of the "subversive love" themes he discusses. I love hearing about books that have impacted you! I actually read The Irresistible Revolution last spring. It's definitely a challenging book to think through both theologically and practically.
A friend said to me after the message, "That's what you call a 'stepping on toes' sermon." I know I felt Jesus stepping on my toes as I studied this passage! But with the squirming and the stretching that his commands in Luke 6 invoke, there is also the opportunity for significant impact for his Kingdom if even a handful of us lived this out. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on what it means to put this subversive love into practice.
My biggest problem (I think, I could be wrong) is that I am a very greedy person. I have grown accustomed to a laid back working environment making a very comfortable salary, living in a relatively protected neighborhood and having a very nice family. Why would I want to give any of that up? However, my heart burns and crumbles when I hear about poverty in our world. Worse, when I hear about how our capitalistic society is practically sucking resources for our own mutual benefit while millions (billions?) of folks in 3rd-world countries are starving and dying due to a lack of basic essentials, my head spins and I question the fabric of reality.
There is a documentary coming out called "The End of Poverty"; like many documentaries before it, it plays your heart strings (those that have a working conscience). Why is it that we who are so rich, so filthy, stinking rich, care so little about those who are less fortunate? Are we really that blind? Yes, I said "we" - remember, I am greedy.
So we hear a sermon about "Subversive Love" during a Sunday morning. So what? What are we doing about it? Our "enemies" are not just those who commit an overt act of violence; what about those who upset our cheeky, heart-warming feel-good smugness? In a more recent sermon, Alan spoke about tithing and the golden 10%. I wonder... what about giving away 20%? 40%? 60%? We can play the numbers game 'till the sun goes down (and comes back up), but the real question is why are we so acceptable of living in relative luxury while there is such a stark, naked, brutal world out there? And not just Africa - we have homeless right here in Champaign, men and women who are wondering how they will stay warm in the coming winter, or where to get tonight's dinner of stale bread and clean water.
I ask this of myself. If you (plural, generic) feel challenged by these same things, that is between you and your maker. The subversive love of Christ has spoiled me, and now I feel compelled to pass it on. It sure feels better being blissfully ignorant.
That's what comes to my mind when reading your well-put (and penetrating!) thoughts, Charles. We ought to be increasingly uncomfortable with being comfortable in the face of the real needs all around us. I see many of the same "greedy" characteristics in my own life; I have far too many strategies for insulating myself from people's needs; I have a whole list of rationalizations for why I can't do more about poverty, injustice, etc.--every one of these things ought to cause me great discomfort if I am truly following Christ as King!
Recently, two things have been stirring up increasing levels of discomfort in my heart. First, in response to a challenge made by Craig Groeschel in his book "It", I've been regularly praying, "Lord, ruin me for the things that break your heart." It's a dangerous prayer. Second, I just started reading "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. He tells his story about how God moved him from a very comfortable position as CEO of a lucrative company to leading World Vision. It's a dangerous read.
I'm convinced that I have to keep building more things into my life--what I read, who I interact with, etc.--that will make me come face to face with the real needs of the world. Otherwise, the gravitational pull is to pursue comfort. And if I give in to this pull, I'll miss Christ and his mission.
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Good input from several
Good input from several people after the "Subversive Love" sermon!
Some of you shared with me about situations in which you're dealing with "enemies"--individuals who are working against you or are antagonistic toward you because of your faith. Jesus' teaching in Luke 6 is not theoretical for you. You're trying to understand how to live "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" in the trenches of real life. I'm praying for Jesus' grace and strength for you because I know it's really hard. I also know that Jesus can and will show himself through you as you stay in there.
A couple of you suggested Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution, to me because of the "subversive love" themes he discusses. I love hearing about books that have impacted you! I actually read The Irresistible Revolution last spring. It's definitely a challenging book to think through both theologically and practically.
A friend said to me after the message, "That's what you call a 'stepping on toes' sermon." I know I felt Jesus stepping on my toes as I studied this passage! But with the squirming and the stretching that his commands in Luke 6 invoke, there is also the opportunity for significant impact for his Kingdom if even a handful of us lived this out. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on what it means to put this subversive love into practice.
Here is what bothers
Here is what bothers me
Shannon, thanks.
My biggest problem (I think, I could be wrong) is that I am a very greedy person. I have grown accustomed to a laid back working environment making a very comfortable salary, living in a relatively protected neighborhood and having a very nice family. Why would I want to give any of that up? However, my heart burns and crumbles when I hear about poverty in our world. Worse, when I hear about how our capitalistic society is practically sucking resources for our own mutual benefit while millions (billions?) of folks in 3rd-world countries are starving and dying due to a lack of basic essentials, my head spins and I question the fabric of reality.
There is a documentary coming out called "The End of Poverty"; like many documentaries before it, it plays your heart strings (those that have a working conscience). Why is it that we who are so rich, so filthy, stinking rich, care so little about those who are less fortunate? Are we really that blind? Yes, I said "we" - remember, I am greedy.
So we hear a sermon about "Subversive Love" during a Sunday morning. So what? What are we doing about it? Our "enemies" are not just those who commit an overt act of violence; what about those who upset our cheeky, heart-warming feel-good smugness? In a more recent sermon, Alan spoke about tithing and the golden 10%. I wonder... what about giving away 20%? 40%? 60%? We can play the numbers game 'till the sun goes down (and comes back up), but the real question is why are we so acceptable of living in relative luxury while there is such a stark, naked, brutal world out there? And not just Africa - we have homeless right here in Champaign, men and women who are wondering how they will stay warm in the coming winter, or where to get tonight's dinner of stale bread and clean water.
I ask this of myself. If you (plural, generic) feel challenged by these same things, that is between you and your maker. The subversive love of Christ has spoiled me, and now I feel compelled to pass it on. It sure feels better being blissfully ignorant.
Uncomfortably
Uncomfortably comfortable...
That's what comes to my mind when reading your well-put (and penetrating!) thoughts, Charles. We ought to be increasingly uncomfortable with being comfortable in the face of the real needs all around us. I see many of the same "greedy" characteristics in my own life; I have far too many strategies for insulating myself from people's needs; I have a whole list of rationalizations for why I can't do more about poverty, injustice, etc.--every one of these things ought to cause me great discomfort if I am truly following Christ as King!
Recently, two things have been stirring up increasing levels of discomfort in my heart. First, in response to a challenge made by Craig Groeschel in his book "It", I've been regularly praying, "Lord, ruin me for the things that break your heart." It's a dangerous prayer. Second, I just started reading "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. He tells his story about how God moved him from a very comfortable position as CEO of a lucrative company to leading World Vision. It's a dangerous read.
I'm convinced that I have to keep building more things into my life--what I read, who I interact with, etc.--that will make me come face to face with the real needs of the world. Otherwise, the gravitational pull is to pursue comfort. And if I give in to this pull, I'll miss Christ and his mission.
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