What Is v. What Ought to Be

In this evening's scripture reading I was struck by the reoccurring juxtaposition of things that are (or were) apparent in the world and those things that ought to be. The Lord repeatedly in His Word seeks to show us the difference and encourage us not to 'be conformed to the patterns of this world'. Instead, we should live a counter-cultural existence... truly following the Lord and not our own desires, seeking peace and promoting justice.

Straying v. Following

¹⁶ This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.' (Jeremiah 6:16)

In much of Jeremiah, we listen as the Lord laments about Israel and how Israel has left Him. Here is one example. The Lord mourns the fact that although He holds the path to rest for His people, they have turned away from Him. It's so easy to look at the Israelites and think, "Silly people!" But aren't we often so much the same?

There are often so many voices telling us where to turn and what to go seek out, when we should only be following Jesus. We can have faith in His promise that after seeking first the kingdom of God, "all these things will be added unto you." But I am also guilty of of not following the only one worth following. In fact, I'm just now feeling the effects of high stress about my program. I've developed an acute case of gastritis, and this evening I told Brad that I realize "it's just not worth it to get stressed out. You end up worse off than you started." And if I were focusing on following the Lord, I imagine that things would be different.

War v. Peace

¹¹ They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
"Peace, peace," they say,
when there is no peace. (Jeremiah 8:11)

Sometimes I do feel pretty radical, being a pacifist... especially being a Christian pacifist in Tucson. To most people around here, I think it seems quite contradictory to some. But not to me. As I read these words, I can see God's disappointment at the wounds of His people, personalizing the pain. The Lord further laments that this is done 'as though it were not serious.' The way this is stated implies that it is very serious to the Lord that His people are in pain. He's further upset at people who claim there is peace when there is none.

We here in the U.S. may easily be tricked into thinking that we are living in a time of peace. Yet the U.S. itself is still involved in war, not to mention the war in many other parts of the world. It is our place, instead of shouting 'peace, peace' where there is no peace, we exist to be a living peace church in the world. By creating peace at home and living in a way that is at peace with people and our environment. I can't help but remember the amazing testimony of the Nigerian Church of the Brethren. In the midst of terrible religious unrest, this church boldly proclaims and lives its commitment to peace. There is violence here at home as well; it is our time to be the peace we want to see in the world.

Justice v. Injustice

¹Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,²older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.

²¹I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. (1 Timothy 5:1-3, 21)

In Timothy, we read a long list of 'shoulds', and wherever there is advice, we can imagine that there was a reason this advice was given. If everyone did this already, there would be no context in which the advice would be applicable. Instead, this meant that there were some who were harshly rebuking older men, treating people unlike they would their own family and not taking care of the widows who needed them. Then comes the advice- that we would not be impartial or show favoritism. Jesus calls us to live lives of justice and to treat everyone fairly, loving everyone equally. There are no exceptions for Jesus. He came for everyone.

The other night I was sad to hear a part of a conversation in which people were mentioning our Lord as someone who "is gonna send me to Hell, cuz I did that." They've somehow missed the message. Jesus did not come to judge or condemn the world... but to save us. He did not even just issue justice... He gave us more than we deserve... all of His life, all of His love... so that we may extend that love to every single person "without favoritism or partiality". Since He loved us so fully while we were sinners, we can extend more than justice... Jesus' perfect love. Spread that message, not one of judgment but of an eternal love.