Thursday, December 22, 2011

What Does it Look like

"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday"
What does this really look like?
Is it more than polo shirts and pressed dresses?
Little girls in bows and boys in their Sunday best?
Is it more than your 10% left at the alter of filled churches open two days a week and deserted on the nights someone falls at it's doorsteps desperate and alone?
Is it more than small group and once a month potluck?
Is it more than inviting the "unsaved" to a service?
Is God asking for more than what we are comfortable with?

I don't know.
I really don't.
All I know is when I see images like this posted on forums
and posted by my own family (Oh gasp! An atheist)


then I believe with all my heart
that YES
HE is asking for more.

Then I see a picture posted by many of my Christian friends

and I think


"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday"

The thing is..
HE is asking for more than what we are comfortable with.

Here was my response to the first picture:
Until people NOT God choose to put focus and energy on important things...this will not end. God is not some deity deciding who should starve. No, it is us. The corruption is wide spread...from money hungry corps that take advantage of weak government structures to rape and pillage a continent to the millions of apathetic people that place their stock in what they see and own. We are the ones that dictate the football player earning millions while others go hungry. We would rather watch the idiot box on a Sunday, spend 100's of dollars in tailgating parties than forsake our mocha to feed a child we will never meet. Nope God is NOT to blame, but it is US that are guilty.


"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday"
What does this really look like?
Is it more than pretty packages under the perfect tree?
Is it more than finding the perfect gift for that someone you want to respect you as much as you admire them?
There has to be more?
Or better yet...
There has to be a "balance" that we are comfortable with.
One of
"sacrifice"
and
"comfort"

Maybe it's just me
but when I look at those images
I feel like a hypocrite
Especially now...

Both images are screaming for THIS season.
The season of a birth.
The greatest sacrifice in history.
The birth of a man (regardless of faith)
This man, Jesus (regardless of faith)
lived
"...and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday"
So, what does this really look like?

It looks like a beautiful chaotic mess waiting to happen!
It looks more like what you DON'T want to look at.
It comes in your "crazy ass neighbor" that you would rather ignore, but invite over anyway
it comes in the form of the bitchy cashier that you try to make smile
it is apparent in that "annoying friend" that you include
or psycho at work you invite to lunch
The idiot that cuts in front of you, but you choose to ask how they are

the crazy ass holiday shoppers, that you smile at
the praying athlete..and rejoice that he is thankful

It also is the starving child, the dying mother, the 10 year old sold into sex by her family

It looks like GRACE.

It looks like YOU.