I am always searching for ways to help connect the dots from my world to everyone else's. It's difficult, because I really love Jesus, and He makes my world different. Not better or more entitled, but the way I see things, what I believe in, how I experience life is not the same. And no set of "rules" or big white buildings do a good job of showing people what that world looks like. Obviously Jesus isn't all mine, so the life I experience isn't just mine. But 75% of the people I love wouldn't be on the same page with me when it comes to this Jesus stuff. I think this is more due to a lack of communication, and a failure to relate. Sometimes Christians make loving Jesus the most complicated thing in the world. America has created a religious context of lifestyle that has become embraced as the foundation of Christianity. By doing so, Jesus almost isn't there anymore. Recently I read a very short book called "How Good is Good Enough?" by Andy Staley. I also watched a documentary called "Beware of Christians." Both rocked my world. They make Jesus real, they pursue truth, and they discuss grace. This Jesus stuff is so much more than a religion, and these outlets go there. "How Good is Good Enough?" Andy Staley addresses the issue of being "good", how it's impossible, and according to Jesus, not a requirement. But he says it in a more profound, cool way [I promise].
And "Beware of Christians" ...well, I stayed up until four in the morning just to finish it. It's going on my top ten list. Four dudes. Cute, normal, everyday dudes, adventuring out into the world with one purpose in mind: figuring out what Jesus meant to them. They laugh, get mad, do dumb stuff, and ask the hard questions. They recognize the flaws of American Christianity and admit their own brokenness. I laughed, I cried, I was inspired. I checked if any of them were still single. Unfortunately, I was a little late. "Beware of Christians," can be found on Netflix. "How Good is Good Enough?" by Staley is $9.00 on Amazon, and the first chapter can be downloaded for free at: www.multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/How_Good_Is_Good_Enough_Andy_Stanley.pdf If you love Jesus: I think these resources could help you get your head-out of the clouds and love Jesus, and people, even better. If you don't love Jesus: I think these resources will not attempt to "convert" you in anyway. Rather, if you are at all curious about what loving Jesus looks like, I would recommend checking them out. If you don't know: cool beans. I would say,what could it hurt? I think being unsure is a sign of sanity. Eternity, faith, and Jesus... it's real, it's beautiful, it's big, and a lot of it feels invisible. lean in, be curious, see what happens.
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AuthorMy name is Lily. Archives
October 2016
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