I one time heard a comedian, or a speaker of some sort make a comment that has stuck with me over the years. He made a great observation. What happens when we meet someone on the sidewalk, in a room, in a meeting, at work, in the mall, etc? We say hi or hello (in my case howdy) and then its probably followed by a question. How are you? How ya doing? When that question is asked, what is the response that we get?
I'm fine. Doing good. Still vertical. Not six feet under. And so on and so forth.
To what has the potential to be one of the most important existential questions of our time, we respond with simple platitudes that don't do much to actually say anything. All of that has become a part of the standard greeting ritual that we all observe. But have you ever watch as something different happens?
Sometime, watch for that dear in the headlight look when you ask that question. At some point you'll see someone who, when they hear that question, watch's as the craziness of their life passes by in an instance: they have to pick up the kids from school, they're late to work, they have to get ready for two birthday parties and a church lunch this weekend, taxes are due, there's only 92 days left until Christmas (pretty close to accurate as of 9/24/18), and then they'll still respond with...
I'm fine. Doing good. Still vertical. Not six feet under.
Over the last couple few posts we've been talking about how God calls us to do more and to be more. But to get there, we have to do more than respond with, "I'm fine."
The scripture passage we're looking at is Colossians 3:12-17 As Paul is writing to the Colossians they are dealing with a difficult question. They are believers, but they are also gentiles. They are trying ot figure out how to live this life that they have been called to. What makes them different from their peers?
Their first thought was that they would become more Jewish. That makes logical sense. Jesus was Jewish, so it would follow that they should do the same and follow the Law. The problem is, that doesn't cover it. That doesn't get them very far. As Paul will point out many times throughout his letters, the Law will fail. It's not a matter of if, but when. So where does that leave the Colossians? They have to take a different road.
Jesus calls us to something different. He calls us to start by putting on these things: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This is what sets us apart from everything else around us. This starts by what happens inside of us and forms the way we see the world.
When something bad happens, when someone does something wrong, or sins, how do we respond? Under the old system we would respond with judgment and consequences. But under what Jesus brings to us, and what Paul is teaching, we start with forgiveness and grace.
I'm the first to admit that that sounds like something that is super touchy/feely. I get it. The Law is easier. There is right and wrong, yes and no, judgment and consequences, and we can all figure out where we stand in the world much easier because of it. But that's not what we're called to.
When we start with forgiveness and grace, something important happens. Forgiveness is important for those who are forgiven. Whenever we are in that role, we need to know that so we can move on, but I would argue that forgiveness is even more important for the person doing the forgiving.
When we do the forgiving, what we're saying is that whatever wrong or sin has been committed is not going to control me. Wrongs that are committed against us can begin to have power over us. Sometimes it may not grow to be very much and we may be able to control it, there is a danger that it won't stay there. Wrongs, especially big ones or annoying ones, have a tendency to get bigger over time.
The bigger they get, the more they control who we are. If we aren't careful they begin to consume us and guide our actions. In extreme cases those things become the sole focus of our lives. The more they take control, the less we see of anything else going on around us. Have you ever met someone that was incredibly unhappy with life? This is probably what happened. They've become so focused on what has happened or how they've been wronged, that they've stopped seeing anything else.
When we forgive, those things don't control us. We are not letting them become the central part of our lives. Here's the beauty of what happens. We don't have to be perfect at forgiving. We don't even have to be good at it, but we have to be trying. It's when we try that things happen.
Remember in the last post we talked about how when we reach up to God, we find that God is already reaching down to us, and that what is taking place looks a little like this:
God takes the weight off of ourselves so that we can figure out how to go forward and we can stumble around, but not worry about falling. When God is at the center things change. When we reach inside ourselves we set things in the right way so that God is in control and so that we can go forward and see more of the world that is around us.
Instead of asking the question, "how are you?" We should ask a more traditional question that sends us deeper, and causes us to reach in or what God is doing.
This is a traditional question that John Wesley would ask folks that were a part of the Methodist movement. It's an uncomfortable question, but it is one that we can answer by reaching in and seeing what God is doing.
Our challenge as we go forward is to reach inside ourselves, see what God is doing, and then share it with a world that needs God presence.
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