It seems that Jesus Christ came into our human world with a very simple and direct message. It is the message that we human beings need to hear more than any other. God has simply said, “I love you. Please respond.” And then he showed us how.
But instead of really following his example, we continually spend time complicating that request, twisting it around, rationalizing our non-response, defining our positions, ignoring his directions.
In actuality, it seems that most of us spend our entire lives trying to define who we are and figuring out what we are about. And by extension, we waste countless hours in all the groups and organizations we belong to doing the same thing--trying to define who we are and attempting to find something worthwhile.
If small children ever fell into this pattern, they would never get around to playing. But they don’t. They simply play...and define the rules as they go along and only when needed. Most of their time is spent being and doing in a state of simplicity and spontaneity. (Maybe this is what Christ means when he says that we need to become as little children).
He doesn’t ask us to discuss rules and regulations of Christianity ad infinitum and to issue laws and proclamations of judgment. He hasn’t told us to divide up into multiple groups of people who spend countless stress filled hours and years on trivial things like the color of our uniforms, the title of the group, or how we are to conduct our meetings, etc. He simply asks us to love others…
But most of us, in our families, our neighborhoods, our communities...in all of our relationships, spin our wheels and take little or no consistent action in response to God’s love.
Once again, Easter reminds us of how a new life, a new perspective, and new priorities can take us to the simplicity of following Christ’s example of love in action.
Are we really willing to try? (You can still have the chocolate bunny...)
But instead of really following his example, we continually spend time complicating that request, twisting it around, rationalizing our non-response, defining our positions, ignoring his directions.
In actuality, it seems that most of us spend our entire lives trying to define who we are and figuring out what we are about. And by extension, we waste countless hours in all the groups and organizations we belong to doing the same thing--trying to define who we are and attempting to find something worthwhile.
If small children ever fell into this pattern, they would never get around to playing. But they don’t. They simply play...and define the rules as they go along and only when needed. Most of their time is spent being and doing in a state of simplicity and spontaneity. (Maybe this is what Christ means when he says that we need to become as little children).
He doesn’t ask us to discuss rules and regulations of Christianity ad infinitum and to issue laws and proclamations of judgment. He hasn’t told us to divide up into multiple groups of people who spend countless stress filled hours and years on trivial things like the color of our uniforms, the title of the group, or how we are to conduct our meetings, etc. He simply asks us to love others…
But most of us, in our families, our neighborhoods, our communities...in all of our relationships, spin our wheels and take little or no consistent action in response to God’s love.
Once again, Easter reminds us of how a new life, a new perspective, and new priorities can take us to the simplicity of following Christ’s example of love in action.
Are we really willing to try? (You can still have the chocolate bunny...)