I haven't blogged properly in a long time (if ever. I'm lazy. And that's all I have to say about thayat). I feel like I start all my blogs this way, but repetition, if nothing else, provides a secure routine. I have had thoughts a-plenty over the past couple of years about life, love, education and, of course, God...which kind of ties all my thoughts together anyway, although it doesn't always look that way from where I'm standing.
I've been reading a few different books lately which seem to tie in with the thoughts I've been having that I just haven't known how to put words to. "Love Wins" by Rob Bell has had quite a profound effect on me. Much more so than I was expecting, actually. I read it to see what all the hype was about and found myself thinking, "This guy's onto something". Do I agree with everything he's written? No. But do I think he's voicing something really important - absolutely.
Ever since I started believing in God, I couldn't help but think that we'd missed something along the line, that something just wasn't quite right in our approach, understanding and view of God, people around us, life and most other things beside. Added to a lot of painful personal experiences of church along the way - humans being humans, making mistakes, speaking from limited life experience (and I'm sure giving just as good as I got) I keep wondering if we've even slightly got it right or if we've missed the point entirely. Do we actually know what good news is anymore, because last thing I knew, Jesus was (and is) good news, but what I see and hear doesn't make me leap for joy. I'm including myself in the mix, by the way - this isn't me and them. It's us.
When I see people around me being treated as business targets (or conversion targets or any other way you would care to define it) rather than being treated as people with lives and feelings and minds that make decisions and hearts that love just as much as mine (normally more so actually) even though (hand comes up to mouth and big stage whisper emerges) they don't believe in God, (Shock, horror!) it's no wonder that people don't quite get the good news aspect of what we're preaching. (a) It doesn't seem to be good news. (b) We don't seem to get it ourselves. (c) Our lives show none of it. (maybe that's a bit harsh. We all show bits of it, but I feel that we've lost sight of the now part of the good news).
Should I have embarked on this blog post at all?? I'm beginning to think not. I've now opened up a can of worms and want to tidy up the mess, but don't really want to. Maybe it needs to be messy for a while.
I think that we need to come back to the good news. The good news about heaven on earth. Now. Not when we die. But right now. Where hurting people can be made whole again (myself included). Where hungry people find food (in every sense). Where homeless people find shelter. Where lonely people find friendship and acceptance. Where rich people share with the poor. Where joy begins to soak through the fabric of our society afresh and people are grateful for what they have and content. There's so much more to the gospel than heaven & forgiveness. It's about life, in its truest and fullest sense. Right here. Right now. For everyone. Because of the love of God.
