Dee and I hope to have everything packed up and ready to move by tomorrow. We’ll be moving most everything on Saturday morning (with the help of a few friends). We’re excited to say the least about the new place. It’s a bit closer to the church and still has good access to the interstate for Dee to commute to UAB. All in all, the entire thing is a miraculous display of God’s provision.
Last night, we had drama practice at the church for the kids, as many of them will be participating in a drama this weekend for Father’s Day. There were five kids who were not in drama practice with whom I had an opportunity to discuss a lesson from Mark 12.28-34. The lesson was called “Jesus Rules Myspace.” We discussed the popular (mis)understanding of compartmentalized Christianity. So many times, we are tempted to view Christianity as our “spiritual” commitment which has no bearing upon practical, everyday life. Yet, Jesus’ response to the scribe who asked what was the most important commandment of all was twofold. First, he quoted the “shema” (Hear, O Israel) from Deut 6. Many translations (e.g. ESV, NIV, NKJV, etc.) have “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” In this, he was addressing a polytheistic culture which worshiped many different gods (as it is today), and echoed the importance of living all of life in sole allegience to God. A viable (alternate) translation of Deut. 6.4 which is brought out in the NRSV is “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Meaning, the crux of the text isn’t simply the oneness of God’s being, as it is a call to live under the one true God’s lordship. Alan Hirsch does a great job of bringing out this point in his work – The Forgotten Ways.
The second aspect of the command was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Here, we spoke of the implications of our commitment to Christ. If we say that we love God, but treat others like dirt, then we do not rightly understand what it means to live all of life under Christ’s lordship (cf. 1 John 2.9). We must (re)define salvation as living life under Christ’s lordship by the presence and power of God’s Spirit rather than simply seeing salvation as a “get out of hell free card” (not trying to be crass). I think Hirsch (and others; e.g. Eugene Peterson) is right when he discusses the trouble that our “sacred/secular” divide has caused many in the church. That if we “master” the sacred space (which is usually defined by buildings, religious mannerisms, inflexible liturgies, etc.), then the ethic by which we live can be different in the “secular” space (which we often call “the real world”). Yet, in light of Christ’s (called-for) lordship, all of life is sacred. There is no space which should be outside the influence of God’s love. And the ethic of the Kingdom, by which all Christ followers are to live, is one which looks like that of our Lord (total love for God and others). Thus, as a Christian (Christ follower), we are in process towards total surrender to the Spirit of Christ. That is, Jesus is to rule “myspace” (my heart, soul, mind and strength).
Blessings,
Shannon
