Illusory perfections

When we form theology and spirituality from illusions, we expect perfections in others by being in those illusions. Those demands form arrogance and stubbornness. Can we achieve holiness or heaven by such imaginary worlds? Rather, why don't we try acts of kindness, love and mercy though we can't give defined moments and actions of those? We can't trust the spontaneity of these qualities, but are ready to confide on the security of illusory perfections.

Announcing the Gospel

Preachers pull the crowd in many ways.

Popular trend today is a feel good messages, think positive, relax and enjoy; sing and dance. Though it may sound secular, it has appeared very much in religious languages.

Very influential trend today is the politicized version of religion. No religion is free of this form today. These will have holy, faithful, safeguarding, preserving, 'true and original' sacred music-language, vision terminologies which wrap the power-politics under its beautiful appearance.

Related to the above but could be different in itself is a utilitarian style of devotionalism and pietism. Do these prayers, have these devotions and you will have these miraculous, wonderful reward from God. Even running a business, naming a property, and deciding the number of children has become part of devotion. Rarely we know how we are tricked into ideologizing of religion.

Based on a ransom theology, Christians are brought under control by sin-condemnation preaching. The hearers are terrified, brought under shame, and given the burden of guilt.

The Word of God is very 'nice' until it touches us deep. Jesus' choice of announcing freedom to captives and the year of God's favour is not so wonderful thing. The Gospel is not a covering announcement. Just by listening and walking behind Jesus cannot make a discipleship. The salvation he inaugurated is an integral salvation, it touches our entire life, and it is now. So it also asks to participating in his ministry that opens the freedom and joy of the children of God. A politicized Christianity cannot actualize what Jesus preached. A romantic ideal devotionalism cannot take us to the kingdom Jesus wanted us to enter. Condemning oneself is not the mode that Jesus asked us to deal with sin. Jesus taught us to be convinced of the life given to us, the freedom offered to us, and the responsibility of breaking the chains of oppression and injustice in order to let the love of the father be realized in everyone's life.

you will find your life

Having debts written off is only a crude understanding of Christian view of salvation. A self under the burden of punishment is not what Christ taught us to understand about ourselves. We are given the life of God, and the salvation means the growth in that life. It includes freedom, joy and strength. Christ taught us what that life means, what that freedom and joy mean. 

Life/grace cannot be nurtured in closed bags. It causes a flourishing of one's own life and extends to others. Only in freedom and truth we can genuinely reach out to the  other. So life also means truth, justice, compassion and mercy. Salvation of oneself alone is not salvation at all. One takes the name of Jesus, holds Bible, and proclaims that Jesus is the saviour. That does not guarantee a heaven-ticket. One must let a genuine transformation happen in one's life.

Life/grace finds its ways to nurture and fructify; its growth into goodness, the real good of oneself and others. This good also means truth, justice, compassion and mercy. The 'good' stands for all virtues that can be sought in a Christ-like human. Every entry into a little good includes death and sacrifice. It also has obstacles that blocks, heavy burdens that drag the process of growth. Because we all have been formed of burdens, injuries, and pains of our family and society. We often want to defend those pains which are within the thorns of vices. They immediately appear because of our closeness to these pains. Often we apply these 'troubles' to the devil and stand helpless. The roots are where we have grown. Deny yourselves clearly means 'a passing through' these injuries by personal efforts, through available helps, and divine grace. Beginning from a determination, finding constant encouragement from God, rejoicing in the everyday signs of life, we make our way of the cross. 

By adding chosen suffering we cannot 'remove' the inevitable passing through process. God does not rejoice seeing that we take up pains for 'his joy.' God does not offer grace as though someone gives a chocolate as a gift for a favour done for that person. God shares his life and goodness in God's love that desires the full 'goodness' all that is created. It is not a one-man business. Salvation is not a one-man gift, that each one goes and receives one's reward. Salvation is the freedom and joy of the whole in the life of God.

Lose these for my sake ...

Nothing should have happened to Jesus. He could have lived well, following all the laws, obeying the high priest, growing old, and at the end being taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire. It would be even better if he had become an emperor. Though this was not that happened, we all want to 'preserve' that Jesus. 

In our attempts to preserve, protect, safeguard, it is important to ask what do we really preserve? Is it faith, is it Christ, or some particular symbols, customs, rubrics, powers, structures etc? Do recapturing of these reveal more of Christ to us, to others and to the world? Will any one be ready to lose any of these for Christ's sake?