Lent is upon us. I am not Catholic and have never really participated in Lent. However, I thought now is a good as time as ever. I felt like I needed to give up and add some things to my life to focus on what Jesus did for me. Therefore, I decided to give up soft drinks, not caffeine, just soft drinks. Let's face it I would have a raging headache everyday about 300 if I gave up caffeine. Also, I decided to pump the brakes on worrying. I, by nature, am not an anxious person, but I can worry with the best of them. I worry that I left my hair straightner on in the morning. I worry about my mother's blood pressure. I worry that I won't ever get married. I worry that my ovaries will be too dried up to produce a baby if I ever do get married. I worry that I am not a good enough person. Like I said I can worry with the best of them. Therefore, giving up worrying is next to impossible with me. So I decided to worry less. I know as a Christian person worrying is useless because we know the answer.....everything is going to be OK. We are sinners, every single one of us, but fortunately for me and you we have a loving God that sent his Son to die for us. Jesus took what we all deserved so we could have abundant grace. If you really grasp that, if you really accept someone died a horrible death to save you. You are forever changed.
I wish everyone could feel that comfort and peace that comes with that realization, but I think present day Christians go about spreading the gospel the wrong way. This was evident when I went to Mardi Gras last weekend. I saw a lot of self righteous people spreading hate and judgment down Bourbon Street, standing in groups spewing hateful message from their bullhorns, and it made me sick to my stomach. How ashamed Jesus would be I thought to myself and looked at them with disappointment. We quickly forget, Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. As I walked back to my hotel I saw a lone evangelist by himself with a sign that said, "God is Love". He had no bullhorn, and he smiled sweetly at me as he handed me a booklet that just simply had a printed smiley face that read, "Jesus loves you." I went to bed with hope that some people out there still preach the message that Jesus speaks of in the gospel.
I recently read a very interesting theory in a Tim Keller book, Jesus the King. (I would highly encourage you to read a Tim Keller book no matter your stance on Christianity. It is worth your time.) Mr. Keller reveals that there are typically two types of people in life. The moralist and the self-discoverer. The moralist believes in traditional values and follows all the rules that religion sets to be a "good person." While a person on the self-discovery path feels they must decide what is wrong and right for them. The moralist says, "The good people are in and the bad people are out. And of course we are the good ones" The self discoverer says, "The progressive, open-minded people are in and the judgmental bigots are out. And of course we are the open-minded people." Both theories are self-righteous. Often progressive, open-minded "urbanites" disdain religious, moralistic people who look down on others. Mr. Keller points out the irony that the self-discovery approach leads to just as much superiority and self-righteousness that religions do. Mr. Keller emphasizes the Gospel does not say the good are in and the bad are out; the open-minded people are in and the judgmental are out. What it does say....
"The humble are in and the and the proud are out. The Gospel says the people who know they're not better, not more open-minded, not more moral than anyone else, are in, and the people who think they are on the right side of the divide are most in danger."
I think I will end with an imaginary conversation (which I also read in Jesus the King) between a new Christian in Rome that explains Christianity well.
Neighbor: I hear you are religious! Great! Religion is a good thing. Where is your temple?
Christian: We don't have a temple. Jesus is our temple.
Neighbor: No temple? But where do your priests work and do their rituals?"
Christian: We don't have priests to meditate the presence of God. Jesus is our priest.
Neighbor: What kind of religion is this?
The answer is it's no kind of religion at all. It is the gospel, and it's a gift that is freely given to anyone that asks for it. No matter what religion you practice, what rules and rituals your church sees fit to practice. That's religion, but the gospel is a gift. No matter who you are or what you've done.
If you gave up something for Lent, good luck, and hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
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