My Wish List For Humanity

            Our world seems to be falling apart…literally, coming apart at the seams. Every time I turn on the television or check my phone for news updates it seems there is another crisis. I don’t even know how to respond any longer. Everyone is so polarized politically that no one can look at anything objectively anymore. It’s crazy, disheartening and most of all, I fear it is indicative of some really horrible times ahead.

            If you know me at all, you know I am unapologetic about the fact that I follow Jesus. I also happen to be white, straight and lean to the right, politically. For some of you, that will be all the strikes I get. You assume some things about me based on those facts and have already concluded I can offer nothing worthwhile to the conversation because of who and what I am. Others of you will assume because you share all or most of those traits, I will probably reinforce what you already believe. You are both wrong. What I say will most likely make both sides mad…but that doesn’t mean it’s any less the truth.

If I could wave a magic wand that would change how we approach living together in this world, what would I make happen? Well, I’ve got a few things in mind. I think they work whether you’re a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist. I believe they would make a difference whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, straight or gay, “red, yellow, black or white.” Many people work under the mistaken premise that unless we are the “same” we can’t get along. They think that if we don’t agree, we can’t be civil. I think that’s a bunch of nonsense. Instead, I believe if we could change our minds and hearts about a few things, we wouldn’t have to be afraid to turn on the television or open a newspaper. Here is my wish list for humanity:

·         What if we started making the label we wear less a point of contention and more of a point of conversation? I am convinced that whatever “tag” you wear or group you identify with, you’ve got some interesting and important things to say. More significantly, you have some things to say that I need to hear. The reason we have no sympathy or empathy for one another is because we don’t really know each other; and the reason we are unacquainted is because we are unengaged.

·         What if we stopped demanding that we all live life in unison and remember that there is true beauty in harmony? Musical harmony is created when we each sing different notes. Even the most beautiful melody lines can usually be enhanced with harmony. Our problem is that we want everyone to sing the same note as us, or else we want them thrown out of the choir. The 1970’s Coca-Cola® commercial featuring the iconic song, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” encouraged us to sing in perfect harmony, not unison. It’s also interesting to note that some of the most intricate and beautiful music ever written is based on something called “point and counterpoint.” Music written in this style moves in different directions at different times in complex patterns and its beauty lies in its diversity. Humanities beauty also lies in diversity. If everyone looked and behaved like me or you, well it would be scary…but it would also be very boring!

·         What if we stopped condemning an entire group of people because of the actions of a few? I know there are professing Christians who are just plain jerks…but that doesn’t make us all jerks. I know there are prejudice cops, but not all police are hateful racists. I know there are radical Muslims who have done terrible things in the name of religion, but not all Muslims are terrorists. The problem is we can’t see past a badge or a crucifix or a hijab long enough to look into a person’s eyes and heart. That’s why we’re killing each other. Our hatred for one another is based on what we wear or what job we have or where we worship. That makes me very sad.

One of the reasons I strive to follow Jesus is because He was an excellent example of the points above. Jesus was always up for conversation. Many times it was around the table, one of the most intimate “meeting grounds” of His day. He wasn’t intimidated by someone who didn’t agree with Him. As a matter of fact, He used a favorite rabbinic technique by answering a question with another question to extend the conversation and promote true understanding.

He understood “harmony.” I find nothing in His life or ministry which suggests He thought everyone should be clones of each other. His disciples were a motley crew of individuals who had little in common with each other. He picked His SATB choir based on their ability to sing different parts, not sing in unison.

He loved those who wore the most despicable labels…LEPER, ZEALOT, TAX COLLECTOR, ADULTRESS, BIGOT and THEIF. But He looked past the “tags” and looked into the souls of those who were the most despised, then elevated them to a place of love and acceptance. Even when their culture had kicked them to the curb, He recognized their value and rescued them. That’s what I love about Jesus and that’s what I believe He is saying to us today, if we will only listen.

           

Gone Missing

            Have you ever watched the television shows about missing persons? The ones I watch with the most interest are the episodes where someone pretends to be dead, but in reality they are hiding out somewhere. Sometimes they are in cahoots with another person to collect on an insurance policy, and sometimes they’re just running away from life in general, but they almost always get caught in the end. I think the thing that piques my interest the most is that someone would be willing to “die” in order to live the life they wanted to live; either with wealth, a clean slate or a new identity.

            Yet, as I consider my life as a Christ-follower, I find this is exactly what I have been encouraged to do. The Apostle Paul says I should “reckon” myself dead in order to live in the spiritual wealth which has been provided for me, begin each day with a clean slate and enjoy a new identity! Wow! What a revelation.

            In the 21^st century world, we sometimes have difficulty understanding the word “reckon.” Not me…I grew up with the word. Whatever else the history of the word is, as far as I’m concerned it’s a down-home word from the hills of Southeastern Kentucky. When my grandmother, Mamaw as we called her, used to prepare for a family meal, she would set the table. It was my responsibility to help make sure there were plenty of dishes, knives, folks and spoons for everyone. Mamaw’s plates didn’t match and the silverware was certainly not silver, but every place was set with love and care. Many times, according to my calculations, we were setting more places than necessary. I would ask Mamaw why so many places. Her response was always the same. She’d say with a smile while wiping her hands on her apron, “I reckon when everybody gets here we’ll need every plate.” What Mamaw was doing was practicing the Scriptural principle of reckoning. Now, she didn’t know that’s what she was doing, but she was acting as though something had already happened, before it did. Somehow she knew that come supper time, people would gather around the table until it was full.

            When Paul says, “Reckon yourselves dead unto sin,” he was saying; before it has happened, before you have all the evidence…act as though it’s already true. Reckon it so. What he was suggesting was that we act as though the old person, the old life, the old habits are dead, even before we see it happen. Why? Because sometimes the only way to have room to hold all of the promises of God is to make room at the table for them…before they show up.

            Perhaps it sounds a little morbid but do you know what the desire of my heart is? I would love for my life to become so dead, that people wouldn’t be able to find me. I would love to look so much like Jesus that when people walked right by me they wouldn’t see me, but see Him. I’d like for them to send out a search team to look…check into my whereabouts…drag the lakes and streams in an effort to find a “me” that had been “reckoned” right into grave.

            What if the next television show you watched about someone who had gone missing was about you? What if you were featured as a person who just disappeared because somewhere along the line you ceased to exist as you, and started to look more like Jesus than you do yourself?