Unsettled

“Now food will not bring us close to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.”

— 1 Cor. 8:8

How were disciples to approach food offered to idols? According to another’s conscience, not their own. Eating meat offered to idols means nothing to a follower of Christ with a strong faith. But it could be a stumbling block to an unbeliever or someone with weak faith. The life of a disciple in this world is full of mysteries and paradoxes. God makes room for honest disagreements and differences of interpretation. These are wonderful opportunities to extend grace and preserve our unity in Christ.

The Kingdom is like…

A friend and colleague of mine is a Magical Vacation Planner for Disney. Have a discussion with her and you will hear something like “The Magic Kingdom is like…”. She is trying to describe another realm in the best way she can, knowing all along that you need to experience it for yourself.

So much of what Jesus talked about was “The Kingdom of God is like…”. Through parables, conversations, even rebukes, Jesus described a realm that he is inviting us into. And, like Disney, all of the descriptions fall short of the lived experience.

Effectiveness

(This is written at a time when a large number of Americans have received at least one dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.)

Is the COVID vaccine effective? We are told yes. But we’re also told to continue wearing our face coverings. I know several people who are very bothered by this contradiction.

I’m wondering why people aren’t more bothered by another contradiction. Was Christ’s death on the Cross effective? Does the Gospel change anything? Apart from Jesus’ sacrifice, we were destined for an eternity of guilt, shame, and fear. This is death—an endlessly broken relationship with God, who is Life. But, in Christ, that relationship was reconciled and we have been restored to innocence, honor, and spiritual power. This is Life. Abundant Life.

So, why do we still talk about saved people (maybe ourselves) as ‘worms’ and ‘depraved’? Why get a vaccination if it makes no practical difference? And why give our heart allegiance to Jesus if we’re still stuck in our guilt, shame, and fear?

Yes, we still carry around the brokenness written into our cells. But why not see ourselves as God sees us? Isn’t it better to trust that Christ’s death and resurrection really did make all things new? And then learn how to live in this newness?

At the same time, we can affirm the necessity and availability of God’s grace in all of this. It’s all by his grace.