Monday, January 14, 2008

• On Isolation...

  Currently Reading The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.).) By G. K. Beale see related

  Mascara ran down my wife’s cheeks at lunch today as she mourned her feelings of being an “other” even within the community of faith. Her tears exceeded mine, but I grieve with her, knowing that feeling all too well. Desperation swells up above flood-stage when we realize that the people who should understand us just don’t.[1]

  What, you don’t have a TV? Why would you do that?

  You’re not a Republican? What are you some kind of liberal?

  Oh, so it’s okay for you to live in a country bought by the spilled blood of soldiers, but you’re not willing to pay the price yourself because you think Jesus was a pacifist? Isn’t that just advantageous?

  How is it that endeavoring to exemplify the ethics of Jesus perpetually isolates us from the very people who claim to be the community called by His name? How is it that those who sincerely seek to learn to love Jesus more, no matter how imperfectly they love him at the moment, are the ones scorned within the community of faith? Why is it that the Christian “other” is the one who recognizes that Yahweh is the God of the nations, not just the God of the Americans? Why is the Christian “other” the one who sees the oppression brought about by American freedoms and cries out against it? Why is the Christian “other” the one who is learning to put down the idols of American consumerism? Why is the Christian “other” the one who doesn’t believe politics, war and economics can save our souls or our country?

  We’ve finally come to understand what Jesus meant when he said that a prophet receives no honor in his home town. My wife, her heart aflame for her family, feels incessantly isolated from them because she doesn’t see how God can be glorified in 80 inch plasma TV’s, excessive consumption (of food or gas), or war and violence. Her family thinks she’s judgmental. But I’ve seen her with them – she is far from it. Her family thinks she’s gone off the deep end. But I know her - she’s just tired of swimming in the kiddy pool with floaty’s on her arms. Her family doesn’t get her. And it breaks her heart.

  JR remarked over Christmas that he was trying to simplify his lifestyle. Knowing the difficulty of this attempt, I responded, “Isn’t it good to have friends who don’t look at you like a freak-show when you say such things?” JR has been that friend to me, as has my buddy Josh.

  And though these friends have been so encouraging, I still find myself wondering why the larger community of faith doesn’t get it. Maybe we love our country too much. Maybe we love our stuff too much. Maybe we just plain love ourselves too much. I don’t know. But I do know that even when there are 2 or 3 of us gathered in His name, there Christ is in the midst of us. I suppose Jesus understood more than any of us the problem I’m speaking of here – after all, the night before he was crucified his disciples couldn’t even stay awake!

  I do not feel angry with people. Were it not for the grace of our glorious Savior, I would be where I was 4 years ago. But I do feel sad for people – especially those who I love. I feel sad that they cannot see their compromise with the Empire.[2] I feel sad that they are in a vicious cycle of oppression that victimizes them within the scope of their own will!

  We can argue about gendered language and God, Calvinism and politics, but if we don’t recognize that the Empire has death grip on our souls; our spiritual lives may be snuffed out. The Empire, after all, doesn’t want those around who question its practices and assumptions. I suppose a prophetic banner needs to be waived here whether it leads my wife and I to isolation or full community.

  For those of you on this journey with us - thank you. You are loved and appreciated more than you know.
  

  
  

  
  

  ---

  [1] In this comment I do not mean to sound like a ranting, disgruntled teenager pissing and moaning about how no one understands her/him.
  

  [2] If you don’t come to my page much, what I mean by ‘Empire’ is this whole system of economics, religion, and politics that blind us to the true nature of Christian ethics and praxis, which we both perpetuate and are victimized by.

  • 2:28 PM
  • 14 eprops
  • 12 comments