"If the gospel of Jesus is just some formula I obey in order to get taken off the naughty list and put on a nice list, then it doesn't meet the deep need of the human condition, it doesn't interact with the great desire of my soul, and it has nothing to do with the hidden (or rather, obvious) language we are all speaking. But if it is more, if it is a story about humanity falling away from the community that named it, and an attempt to bring humanity back to that community, and if it is more than a series of ideas, but rather speaks directly into this basic human need we are feeling, then the gospel of Jesus is the most relevant message in the history of mankind."
Thoughts on the intersection of race, religion, politics, ministry, sports and culture.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Donald Miller on the Gospel
From Donald Miller, taken from his book, Searching For God Knows What:
The Dry Fishermen
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time
their was a village
that was very very hungry
They all got together
and decided
They needed to go fishing
for some fish
so they wouldn't starve.
So the men got together
and they learned all about fishing
they talked about fishing
they learned about fishing
they learned more and more and more about fishing
but after a while
there was nothing new to learn
about fishing
And... they got bored.
So they invented new ways to get excited
about fishing
they invented neon worms
orange ones, bright blue ones
sparkly ones...
Everyone went ... WOW!
well...
for a little while.
After many new inventions
After many new thoughts
and they had many new thoughts
even philosophical thoughts
light hearted thoughts
symbolic thoughts
poetic thoughts...
all about fishing
They even painted paintings about fishing
they wrote novels about fishing
.... though lacking in reality
Awards were given out
Prizes were given
Men were exalted...
They were very proud!
In the meantime...
the village was getting hungrier and hungrier
Why...
Because...
No one had actually gone fishing yet...
though they knew how...
They each said...
No I might get wet.
No I might get dirty.
No I might smell like fish.
No I might prick my finger.
You see they had become so use to...
talking about it...
that this became the norm...
and not to question the norm
because the norm had been the norm
for a very long time... the norm.
Norm norm norm.
BUT ... after a while...
They all fell asleep... and died
of starvation.
Sadly... They knew how... to live...
but they refused to follow
the instructions.
Moral... "Faith without Works is Dead."
The Gospel is not only about Christ... but about who we can become in Christ... and who we are to help through Christ in us. Full circle. Truly... this is where we find the peace and the presence of God... when we give ourselves away!
Matthew 25:34-46 is a great full circle road map for just that! "For when you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me." This is not an option... we are all called to do these things for Christ. Maybe not all of them... but some of them. Where ever the Holy Spirit is leading.
Love in Christ always,
Carol