Mighty to Save (Jeremy Camp style): http://youtu.be/YVeQoHdIDEE
It’s a blanket statement if I’ve ever heard one. Everyone needs compassion and I’m not sure there is anyone that would disagree with that (perhaps that family of a murder victim withstanding, they’d perhaps seek justice over compassion). But, unique cases aside, these three are a universal need, no matter what creed you adopt: compassion, love, mercy.
Compassion is what gives families that ability to accept their son wanting to be a drag queen. Love is what drives a family to work in a soup kitchen during the holidays. Mercy is what tugs at your heartstrings, giving someone standing on a street corner with a sign a few dollars from your wallet or change from your cup holder.
Compassion is also what keeps families from killing each other on long road trips. Love is what keeps a teacher motivated when parents yell and scream because their “perfect kid” isn’t quite so perfect. Mercy is what has stopped back alley abortions and gay bashing and laws against things like interracial marriage.
I thank God for these things that he has brought into the world: Compassion, Love, and Mercy.
Perhaps, though, you feel numb to these things. Late night infomercials about the ASPCA or to sponsor a third world child have left you dry and unmoved. Scandals about where that money actually goes leaves you feeling like its an empty gesture, hollow to the point of ignoring it. In some ways, it might be a hollow gesture - a guilt being projected that some do want you to pay for. it’s the old adage: Finish your dinner, there are starving kids in Africa. My generation replies: So what? Are you going to mail my food to them? We used to joke about things like that. They get clever in college and all of a sudden Spencers has a poster that states: Finish your beer, there are sober kids in India.
Reality: That’s horribly jaded, we are horribly jaded as a culture, society, even as a global village. We create remarkable feats in our minds for those who do simple and wonderful things for others (Mother Teresa being a supreme example of this), when it could be more commonplace, where Jesus wants it to be more commonplace. I can’t remember him ever saying that this was a faith that was solely for after death.
This is a life: a community built on those principles. That was the whole point of Jesus’ ministry, of new Jerusalem, of the first eight chapters of Acts. It wasn’t just the Holy Spirits that fell in Acts 2, it was the capability to see and give mercy. To be the good Samaritan, not the judge or the Levite that just walks past the bruised man, as Jesus shows in the parable of Luke 10:25-37.
Moving into the second verse of Mighty to Save, doesn’t it sound wonderful to think of everyone getting forgiveness? Are there some throughout history (both personal and global) that you think forgiveness is too good for? Those hypocrites in the 700 Club, perhaps? Genocidal dictators?
God knows hearts. We’re not supposed to judge, not that those genocidal dictators or the Westboro Baptist folks make it easy. They make it downright difficult- like something right out of Levitical law. Truth be told, we want them to be below the bar of Jesus‘ forgiveness. We see Jesus on the cross as something for grandmothers and little kids and addicts in the program or even maybe for the more repentant criminals, heck sometimes even for vampires in Joss Whedon‘s world.
The truth? Jesus wants to forgive Ken Lay for what he did as CEO. He mourned over the genocides in the Balkans and Rwanda. He can’t be too fond of those politicians and rappers and football stars who leech onto him without any idea who he actually is. I have to be honest here. For me, I hate people like Tim Tebow that push forward an anti-abortion agenda because of celebrity. It disgusts me when you see pictures of Rick Warren and people laying hands to pray for Rick Santorum on the campaign trail because they believe that America should be a theocracy and a Christian nation.
And after hearing about Rick Warren’s pledge signing to stone gay people in Uganda(?), I certainly had/have no desire to forgive him for that. But I’m not Jesus. I don’t sit on the throne and listen to people’s hearts throughout their lives. I don’t have access to the tapestry of time and its hardships. I don’t understand how people can abuse the name of God for their lust or anger or power or greed.
I’m not Jesus. Some should be very grateful I’m not.
Suddenly, we find that the ideas behind this song go from communal to personal, such as it is with God. Indeed, he came to save the whole world but knew each person individually that he called, talked to, or even just saw in the crowd around him. And that was just during his 3-½ years of ministry, not to mention how many of us he must have seen accepting him from that cross. After all, he came to save the whole world (1 John 2:2)
What is most interesting in this portion of the song is that there is an endorsement of being imperfect and yet loved and cared for by God. There is a recognition of having fears and failures and that it is okay to have them after you are saved. Now, I think some people have the idea that at the moment of conversion, everyone suddenly becomes perfect and that there are no addictions or battles to fight. The opposite is actually truer in that the battles are still there, only there is an awareness of sin and that awareness is most often just the beginning, the first step of a longer journey to come (what you surrender to, what you leave belief in to find Jesus, that “life“ that you give: (Luke 17:33) .
-Chorus-
I bet you’ve heard something in relation to Jesus being able to move mountains and its usually in relation to moving a mountain of sin or getting a needing believer a job or a car or just into a better situation physically/mentally/emotionally/spiritually. The mountains can really be anything and its great symbolism for the hard things of life (if you’ve ever done a hard climb like Half Dome or Mailbox Peak Trail, you know what I’m talking about).
Thing is, Jesus talked about giving us the power to move these mountains. Not that we’re God- like once we believe in him, but that we would have the faith to believe that those mountains are nothing, that they don’t need to stand in the way of the journey. This particular scripture is found in Matthew 17: 14-20 (and Luke 17:6, but a mulberry bush isn’t quite as impressive as uprooting a mountain, is it?) and this is right after he has sent out his disciples, deputizing them with the power to heal and cast out demons. He goes out to pray by himself (Jesus loves doing this) and he comes back down from whatever mountain he was on to find that there is a demon that the disciples couldn’t cast out and he replies thusly (to the disciples) after casting out said demon, about why they were unable:
“ Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
The salvation in this song doesn’t just talk about salvation, but its also about the faith through times good and bad, a faith that is cultivated through maturity and community. If you only ever get to 8th grade confirmation and then just stop, there’s a good chance that your mountain probably isn’t going to move in the near future. Its not just one moment, it’s a journey. That may be the hardest myth of Christianity to debunk.
I was reading Eat, Pray, Love (journey books like that are some of my favorites, like Julie/Julia and the stuff by Kathleen Norris, who became a Benedictine oblate) and Ms. Gilbert (the author) addressed her personal beliefs in God almost at the very beginning, since she was going to be using the word throughout the book.
She actually confessed to loving Jesus (“that great lover of peace”), but did not want to be encumbered with the idea of him being the only way to God. Its unfortunate, however true, that this idea of one solitary way to God keeps so many from believing. People of this age believe in choice and individual and it becomes burdensome in a way to think that there is only one way. Often, a Christian can be accused of being short-sighted or exclusionary. Parts of this song would argue that is not the case.
As for Ms. Gilbert, I respect her opinion and what she did throughout her book (same way I feel about Julie Powell actually), but I cannot agree with her view of Jesus. She kind of cut and pasted her own view of the Christian life and left out the bulk of what he actually said and did. Not knowing her personally, I cannot say how she came to this view nor do I feel a need to debate with her on it, but I also remember reading Josh McDowell (a present from my baptism) and his talking about how you cannot separate the parts of Christ. The argument in More Than a Carpenter is done more justice by Mr. McDowell than I would do, believe me. I’d recommend a read-through of that rather than some Cliff Notes version in my blog.
There is actually quite a celebration at the end of the chorus of the song, and, as a Christian, I have taken for granted that Jesus came and rose from the dead. It was miraculous, sure, but after so many times of hearing it- it just lost the power to move me, especially if you‘re a kid and no one around you seems to be moved by it to any sort of emotion.
One of our scripture readers addressed this at church last week in his little pre-verse address. He stated that the phrases “He is risen” with its answer “He is risen indeed” should have the power to move and transform and yet they so often lose that power. I regret that for so long I did not cherish the uniqueness and power of what God did through Jesus.
Granted, there are those in the world who try to either scientifically, historically, or empirically change what Jesus did. There are lots of excuses: there was something in the wine/vinegar combo that just made him look like he was dead, there was something in the spear that hit his side, his body was moved/ he left the tomb and disappeared to create his own religion (which feels like it really just gives the whole thing a more malevolent purpose than it should), and even some have claimed the Jesus himself was a wiccan or had pagan powers. Those voices often add to those who have claimed Jesus to be another story, another part of the sacrifices that various gods made for us throughout history (apparently Greek mystery cults are rife with stuff like that).
In college, I was faced with these arguments. People really like adding a spin to what Jesus did, perhaps refusing to either acknowledge him or the circumstances of his deity for their own needs. And, truth be told, some of the above excuses are easier to believe. They allow you to minimize what Jesus did for us and move on with our lives without him.
But, seriously, I’m getting too old for crap like that. I prefer to admit that I do need Him, and I’m not sure that makes me as weak as some would argue. Needing God is something I think denotes a strength of character that some never achieve or find in other ways (power, money, sex, anger….). I have some atheist friends who this might land me in hot water with, though I doubt it since most of them know that I prefer Jesus, but like I said- getting too old for crap like that.
Would you like to minimize what Jesus did for you? I know that Easter is supposed to be over and that Christians all across the country are putting away the paper mache tombs and the “Friday and Sunday” videos in favor of Acts or Romans or Psalms or Daniel, but what does that leave us with? It leaves us with that calendar of the Pharisees, without time to dwell, to process, to extol on what has happened. It leaves us without the heart and soul of our own message to the world (even to the ones who have rejected it).
This week, I want you to take two blank note cards. I want you to write on one “He is Risen” and on the other “He is Risen Indeed!”. I suggest using a colored sharpie or something to make the words pop (lectio divina style).
Note: Lectio Divina is an old latin phrase the church has used as a way to study the bible. Its where you take a short passage and meditate on a word or small phrase that sticks out to you. Its not only personal, but it’s a great way to invite God into a conversation. I heartily endorse this form of studying as its one of my favorites.
Now those two blank note cards should go somewhere that you will see them often throughout the day or in a place where you begin and end your day. Fridge, bathroom mirror, car dashboard, maybe even your work cubicle. Its like a reminder, maybe even a way to pause to think of God and his mercies and blessings for us.
A bonus achievement for all this is what is says in Proverbs 3:3:
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Thanks for reading,
John
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