A Dangerous Trend

Over the last weeks, the internet has been filled with horrific news of violence done by Islamic terrorists.  Even before ISIS started systematically killing and destroying, random acts of terror have been occurring around the world.  Muslim believers who have killed innocent people in the name of Allah.  I recall a particularly gruesome scene where a man in England attacked a British officer with his car, then stabbed him repeatedly in the middle of the street in broad daylight.  A bystander, watching, then proceeded to video his message to the world which was in essence, "Watch out, world!  We will not stop until all the infidels are dead."  While he speaks covered in the blood of his victim, people walk back and forth past him not even noticing what has happened.  I could have nightmares just about that one incident.  And it's not the last, not by a long shot.

Less gruesome, but equally disturbing, is a video I recently watched about a Jewish speaker at a college campus speaking about what is happening around the world in regards to terrorism.  A Muslim woman stands up representing the Muslim Student Association to ask him to prove the connection of MSA to terrorist groups such as Al Queda.  He then states that one of Al Queda's goals (and other groups like this) is the annihilation of all of the Jews in the world.  He asks her point blank, "Are you for or against the annihilation of all of the Jews?"  She hedges a bit and states how he is putting her in a position to incriminate herself, but he presses her to answer.  She answers, "I'm for it."  And she says it with a smile.  I remember feeling such a heaviness in my heart after watching that.  A sadness for this world and for what is happening every day.  And I also felt a fear.

The fear I feel is probably not the fear you'd expect though.  I'm afraid that religion (meaning faith in God) is beginning to not only look ridiculous, but dangerous.  I'm afraid that all "extreme" forms of religion will become a horror to the world not because of the result but because of our unwillingness to waver.  

What do I mean by extreme?  I mean faiths that ask us to respond to a higher calling.  Faiths that demand us to walk a straight and narrow path with clearly defined good and evil.  It won't matter what the fruits of this faith are, but whether or not you will conform to society's views when necessary.  What I foresee is a day when Muslim jihadists will be considered on the same level as the Christian pastor who won't marry the gay couple.  

The tide is turning (has already turned, I believe) where we will be pressured to not stand firm because we won't want to be identified with extremists.  It makes me sad because many will not stop to check the fruit of faith to determine its validity but instead will judge all faiths according to the standards of society (that are ever changing).  My prayer is  Matthew 5:16:    "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Your good works matter.  They matter for the glory of the one true God.  Your acts of mercy, of grace, and self-sacrificing love show the world who our God really is and, most importantly, who He is not.  We must let the true fruit of our faith be the testimony that shows our faith is valid.  

Ravi Zacharias wrote a great book called Jesus Among Other Gods: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message that is an excellent read on how Jesus compares to other faiths. 

How Familiar Are We?

Tonight I sat with my children on the couch reading to them from the book of Mark.  We've been reading through the Gospel again going through short passages and then talking about them.  I love that my children are at an age now that we can have these great discussions.  So tonight we read the first six verses of Mark 6:

"Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?  Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith."

I've read this passage many times and heard messages on this text.  I've even heard my husband teach on this text.  Tonight while I read it, it felt like the proverbial light bulb went off in my head.  The townspeople were too familiar.  

What does that mean?  It means they thought they had Jesus all figured out already.  They knew him.  He was a carpenter, a son, a brother.  He was the kid who grew up in their village.  He was the child conceived out of wedlock.  He wasn't anything special.  And, yet, now He returns.  And before He returned, news of Him came back.  Miracles.  Healing.  Hundreds of followers.  You can imagine their surprise.  Jesus?  Mary's boy?

So when He shows up and starts speaking with the authority of God, they have a hard time accepting this new image.  They instead choose to be offended with Him for putting on airs.  What happens next is surprising--Jesus is limited in His ability to do miraculous things there.  The text tells us it is their lack of faith that caused this problem.  It really hit me--we can limit God's power?  Is this really true?

I started putting these ideas together as I talked with my kids tonight.  The people of His hometown were too familiar.  They couldn't accept the real Jesus.  They had an understanding of Him and were unwilling to let it change.  Because of this, they missed out big time on what He could do in their lives.  They stopped the miraculous.   What about us?

Have we gotten too familiar?  Do we think we have Jesus figured out?  And, as a result, are we limiting God's work in our lives?  I told my kids that we need to remember that when we read our Bibles, we should come realizing that we don't have Jesus (or His Word) figured out completely.  There's always more to learn.  When we have faith in the seemingly impossible situations, our faith opens doors to a reality that we can't even imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  

I love that my God is a big God.  I love that my mind cannot wrap itself around His awesomeness.  With that truth in my heart, I want to always approach His Word with reverence knowing that the Word is powerful and living.  I want to approach every situation in my life with faith knowing that God might be doing a new thing and I don't want my seeming familiarity make me miss out on what could be an eternal, life-changing event.

Lord, help us never come to you with anything but reverent wonder.  Let our faith change our lives and then change the lives of others!