Life isn't a Hallmark card.
The Christian narrative provides a grand and sustaining vision through the difficulties that we face in life. It's not that we pretend to be joyful and then minimize the heartache as though it is irrelevant, but rather to walk with God through the difficulty and ask him to redeem the heartache by reframing it in a kingdom perspective.
In every single one of us, whether we realize it or not, there is a desire for something higher, wider, and deeper than anything this life offers. And every now and then if we listen, if we tune in, we might notice it rumbling. We might notice it rustling somewhere deep within us.
It's really hard to look at the world without wanting God to handle certain things in a certain way. We want God to make it easier for us to believe in him. We want him to help the hurting. We want him to eradicate evil. I mean, who wouldn't want to do that? We want him to protect children. What sort of God would not want to protect children 110% of the time? We want him to do away with homelessness. We want him to eliminate suffering. We want him to answer our prayers the way we want them to be answered. We want to be happy. What's wrong with that? And God disappoints because ultimately his ways are not our ways.
Another significant chapter in Israel's history occurred when the Babylonians conquered Israel in 586 BC. After that happened, thousands of Jewish people were deported from Israel to what is today Iraq. And there they lived for 70 years as exiles. Exile is a description of God's people throughout history. I am an exile. Living in a context where God's kingdom and ways were not being upheld by the government or empire that was in charge.
Jesus was born a Jew, and he spent his entire life surrounded by signs and symbols reminding him that the empire of Rome was in charge. That's why his message that the kingdom of God had come near was so politically charged and problematic because it directly challenged the empire.
While the anonymous woman in our story, perhaps part by personality, but certainly influenced by her life circumstances, had learned to live in the way of passivity, to avoid, to hide. Don't make any noise, just blend in.…
The danger in religion comes when our confidence, when our faith is transferred from the God with whom we are trying to connect and become centered on the various beliefs and practices and rituals essentially the “rules” of our religion. Because, you see, ultimately the rules of our religion have absolutely no power to do anything for us.
This is how othering happens. See them, hear them, think about them, label them, see it, hear it, and an inner dialogue starts to grow in the soil of our minds that is watered and fertilized by our favorite media source. And as we process and sift and sort, often with only ourselves or with those who happen to share our perspective, we draw conclusions without ever having to engage with the person or persons about whom we're drawing the conclusions. We just write out the label, slap it on them, and go on our way. The lazy sin of labeling.
Our King Jesus is the almighty ruler of the universe. And our strength is not the physical power of this world. But our strength is in the invisible, untamable power of God who is working his plan, his way to save the world.
If new creation has any chance of reshaping and remaking us, then we have to do the hard work of listening. And here's the thing. If we are listening to Jesus, we are going to be rattled now and then. Our way is going to be out of alignment with his way now and then. And then we have to choose who to follow.
From Luke 6, let me just rattle it off. Love enemies. Pray for those who mistreat you. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Refuse to use violence to get back at those who've used violence against you. Help the hurting. Be kind to those who are not grateful for your kindness. Be merciful. Judge yourself. Forgive. Let me say this in case it's not obvious yet. New Creation Living is not exclusively owned by any of our political parties. A Christian's priority is their citizenship in God's kingdom.