Blinded by the Light, Love or RULES?

Sometimes we ignore the important stuff and we don’t even know it. I lost my backup glasses bout a month ago but I had my main pair so I was like, “Its okay I’ll look for them tomorrow.” Well, this morning I was out on my morning run and as I walked down the drive on my cool down I took off my pull over and OFF they went. Now I tried to find my main pair outside but being that they are dark frames at 5:40am and leaves all over the ground I couldn’t find them. I am blind without my glasses, so off in search of my backups. I found them and I am fine but my morning would have been a lot more smooth if I had done the looking weeks ago. Church can be the same way. We become Christians and try to go to Church every week, follow all the rules and stay away from temptation but we can get lost in the process. We can get so lost in “staying away form sin” that we can ignore others in need. I have seen myself and others create a little fortress around their heart and faith while trying to follow the “rules”. Know this God has one rule in two parts. Love God with all your mind, body and soul. The second love your neighbor as you love yourself. We were all lost at one point in time (maybe even right now) and God wants us to help each other find our way through LOVE. Acting with love and speaking with love. As Christians our goal is not ONLY to get ourselves to heaven but to ALSO bring along as many of our “neighbors” as we possibly can. Might we get shunned in the process? Yeah, plenty of times I have been open about my faith and others scoffed, even ridiculed me but I don’t mind. I know where I am trying to get to. So when I see those in need I offer help because God asks me to and that is what Jesus taught. Times when I am nervous and unsure I get help from the Holy Spirit to find my way. If we all treated each other as we wished to be treated then I have no doubt famine would disappear, poverty wouldn’t be as nearly as bad and the lost would feel found. Each one of us can change the world one small step at a time, together in community, in communion with one another, through God’s Church, in and outside of the walls of a church. So if you find yourself hung up on the “rules” of the Church remember Jesus made it so simple. When in doubt love.

Luke 13:10-17

10Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." 13And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, said to the people, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." 15Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? 16And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" 17As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

How Many Balls You Jugglin?

Sometimes I wonder what I got myself into. I am an artist you see, and well being a father of 4 now can be rather challenging. Many artists stay single and I now know why. Its easier to focus on the art. However when I contemplate that my life I begin to feel rather hollow. Yesterday I came home and had to shift gears and become Plumber-man! My toilet was whopper clogged and seeing that we only have one in my house, well, thats a big deal. Especially because my wife runs a daycare. Little bodies don’t like to wait. Often I shift from auto mechanic to carpenter to graphic designer, business consultant, therapist, tutor, teacher, lawn specialist and so much more. I do it all thankfully and while I sigh from time to time, I really do enjoy it. So many times I hear, “God is so demanding. He has all these rules and wants so much.” God understands. All God wants is for you to love him and love others like yourself. He wants you come to his Church once a week so he can help calm and juice you back up. That’s it, I know those are rather broad strokes but thats what it all comes down to. Does he want you to drink or do drugs? No, cause he wants you to base your life in the here or now and he wants you healthy. Does he care if you have unmarried sex? Yes, cause he doesn’t want you to catch disease and he wants you to know true love and happiness is not a momentarily perversion of pleasure. Its the building block of a magnificent relationship. I could go on but it really all boils down to so little. In comparison to what I do each day, what God wants me to do, its so very little. 

Matthew 11:25-30

25At that time Jesus declared, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; 26yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. 27All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Lost In the Rule of It All?

“Yup yup, gotta follow the directions”, so many times I hear this echo in my mind. Particularly because I am a man and most times we don’t even take the directions out of the box. So many do I meet that want to “follow the directions”. It can be very helpful indeed but it doesn’t always work with humans. We are not entertainment centers that will be all good if we just follow the directions. Jesus came at a time when the Jewish people were lost. Many didn’t know the meaning of the word and some took it so strictly that they took the humanity out of it. Its like my step-son, who everyday is to come home and to his homework. I was taught by my father that its important to work hard and do the job right and from that I have reaped many benefits. I in turn try to teach that to my children. However, sometimes after a particularly bad day at school I should set the work aside and help him mend before moving forward. 

Jesus came at a crucial time to “reset” the law. It became about rules and commands rather than about love and ways to keep God’s people safe. Jesus came among us and loved us and tried to teach us to love. Many thought that the Son of God would bring a military victory over the romans and when the Jesus came acting like a “hippie” preaching peace and love many were confused, distraught and angry. Those in power in the Jewish temple were upset because Jesus was threatening to remove them or make them unimportant. So arrested him, had him beat, spit on, mocked. They made him carry his own cross across town, laid him down on it, nailed him to it hung him to hang and then stabbed him in the side for good measure. This to a man that preached peace and love and forgiveness. Some of his final words were even, “Forgive them father for they know not what they do.” With even his dying breaths Jesus loved. He loved to death rather. So, does God have rules? Yes, and they should be followed, but take time to understand them. God is no bully. He is full of love for all.

Luke 6:1-5

1On a sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath?" 3And Jesus answered, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?" 5And he said to them, "The Son of man is lord of the sabbath."