Jesus' Activism

Not long ago in an online discussion I had someone tell me, "Jesus was not a pacifist!"

I thought, "Are you kidding me? The Jesus prophesied in Isaiah 9:6?"

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

'Turn the other cheek' Jesus? The Son of God, the Jesus that voluntarily let himself be crucified
though he could've obliterated everyone at a blink of an eye? The Jesus that would eventually bring about a peace where:

"They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4)
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:6-9)

NOT a pacifist? Every time I tried to think about these widely different views, I would begin to get a tremendous headache. So I sat on it, so-to-speak, which is always a wise thing to do when you know something's not right.

Then I began to attempt some honest research, and by that I mean NOT reflective of a bias to any 'side' and NOT seeking a compromise between sides (though compromise is many times a worthy step), but to seek out what the Bible says or doesn't say about it. Here are my findings.

The first complication is that the word 'pacifist' doesn't occur in the Bible.

The second complication is that the modern word 'pacifist' means many things to many different
people. For some it means no force of any kind, and some even are against any form of government. For others, a pacifist is one who uses passive activism in peaceful demonstrations. Then there are others that think the civil disobedience of pacifists can include varying degrees of sabotage or vandalism to get the point (peace) across.

The word 'pacifism' or 'pacifist' is evidently just another word that has been stretched out and
over-used.

However, 'peace' is a recurring element throughout the Bible, from beginning to end, and no one can dispute that.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he says:

"Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God." (Mat 5:9 NKJV)

As Jesus was the son of God, you can probably infer that he thought of himself as a peacemaker.

But then the question that comes to me is, 'What is a peacemaker? Perhaps a weapon can bring peace, but isn't it also said that those who live by the sword, die by the sword?

Here's what I think is a parallel concept to violence (lack of peace). God anticipated man's sin. Did God create sin? No. We are responsible for sin in the world, not God. And God provides the cure for sin.

Similarly, God anticipates our violence. Does he create the violence? I don't believe so (though I don't honestly know what to make of some Old Testament texts...). I strongly feel that we humans are responsible for the violence in the world, not God. The violence is not God's plan, as
the passage I quoted above from Isaiah 11, and many other passages make plain. God's plan eventually results in peace.

Obviously this is not a 'peace at any cost' type of compromise. There have been, and will be, huge costs. As human individuals we cannot even comprehend the total cost. Like the saying goes, "If you have to ask, you can't afford it!"

There are so many passages that can be used to support various shades of pacifism or activism. It seems like to me, now, that stating a case only for one 'side' is necessarily one-sided, biased, and lacking of God's scope. Should we try to see things God's way? Of course! God's way is always the wisest way.

There are way too many passages for me to quote them all here. But I don't need to be comprehensive in my presentation either. So just let me get to the nitty-gritty of what I think perhaps Jesus was trying to teach, which is often mistaken for pacifism. In general, and of greatest importance, Jesus was teaching a new way of life, following him, worshipping God. These passages that seem to be promoting peace are actually speaking out against vengeance, or revenge. See for yourself:

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:38-41, NIV)

"If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” (Luke 17:4, NIV)

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’says the Lord.” (Rom 12:14-19)

"Do not say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me. I will pay the man back for what he has done.’” (Prov 24:29)

Now with that understanding, here are some parallel quotes from modern day Christians:

"To our most bitter opponents we say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you.’" —Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)

"The followers of Christ have been called to peace. . . . And they must not only have peace but also make it. And to that end they renounce all violence and tumult. In the cause of Christ nothing is to be gained by such methods. . . . His disciples keep the peace by choosing to endure suffering themselves rather than inflict it on others. They maintain fellowship where others would break it off. They renounce hatred and wrong. In so doing they over-come evil with good, and establish the peace of God in the midst of a world of war and hate." —Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) 'The Cost of Discipleship'

"Consider whether we should make the patient an extreme patriot or an extreme pacifist. All extremes are to be encouraged. Not always, of course, but at this period. Some ages are lukewarm and complacent, and then it is our business to soothe them fast asleep. Other ages such as the present one are unbalanced and prone to faction, and it is our business to inflame them... Whichever side he adopts, your main task will be the same. Let him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of the partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him into the stage at which religion becomes merely part of the "cause" and his [faith] is valued chiefly for the excellent arguments it can produce in favour of the British war effort or of Pacifism. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes, and crusades mean more to him than prayer and and sacraments and charity, he is ours--and the more "religious" on those terms the more securely ours. I could show you a pretty cageful down here." —C.S. Lewis 'Screwtape Letters'

As that last quote illustrates, to be caught up in well intended religious activism can be dangerous, whether it be patriotic activism or pacifistic activism.

But how do we think of or categorize Jesus' example?

"...and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross."(Col 1:20 NLT)

It looks like to me that Jesus demonstrated a more perfect way, an activism of non-action, endurance of suffering, of non-retaliation.

I think it is true to say that Jesus was not a pacifist, because a pacifist has the specific and limited goal of peace. Jesus wanted to take us further than mere peace.

It is equally true to say that Jesus was not an activist, because an activist has a cause, and that too is limited in scope. Jesus wanted to take us further than any temporary goal or cause.

In Jesus was the fullness of a complete existence, the perfect example.

Love Your Neighbor

Every time I write one of these blog entries, I think to myself that it is the most important thing I have ever written. Is that a sign that I take myself too seriously, perhaps?

Well, this blog entry is the same.

My religious upbringing was not too tolerant of differing viewpoints. And as I read stories in the news, and as I listen to people's conversations nowadays, it seems at least this corner of the world is not getting more tolerant. It is getting less!

I may be wrong. Maybe others are right to take an intolerant stance for the cause of their beliefs. For them, that is their truth and they will probably die to defend it, thinking there is no other way. Although saddened, I can accept their right to their view even though they cannot accept mine, where it happens to differ from theirs.

Unfortunately, the closed-minded will not be able to hear the message that I present here, with them specifically in mind.

I would like to present to the reader a better way of life, a way of getting along with others, a way to make it easier to "love your neighbor" without compromising any of your core beliefs. If it matters to you, I believe this was Jesus' stance, as well.

Remember the story of Jesus with the woman at the well?

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. (John 4:13-15 KJV)

What was Jesus referring to when he talked about water that would forever quench her thirst? I believe he was referring either to himself, or to what he presented, true worship of God. This can be the topic of a future discussion, as what I want to talk about here and now are the implications.

What ARE the implications of water that would quench all thirst?

Was the woman at the well Jewish, as Jesus was? You know what - for the purposes of our discussion here it really doesn't matter! He was offering to quench her thirst, no matter where she came from.

Just for a moment, try this thought on for size- What Jesus presents to us all can quench our thirst, at a personal level, wherever we come from.

Jesus can satisfy the Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, atheist, even someone who isn't yet aware of God. In a way, you could say that the 'path' of any honestly seeking person will lead to Jesus and what he talked about.

Those who do not seek? The hardships of life will eventually change them, open them up. God softens the ground (the listener) with rain (life's problems) all in God's good time. Not our job!

I don't believe Jesus intended for us to contend, or fight, with others. I think this is why he healed the centurion's ear and rebuked Peter for chopping it off (Luke 22). I also remember a scripture that spoke against forming factions -

Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1Corinthians 1:12,13 KJV)

Forming factions separates us when we should be together.

Where does this spirit of contention and competition come from? What is the result of contention, and destructive competition? Separation. And if you could sum up in one word the legacy that we inherit from the Fall of Man wouldn't it be separation? Separation from God and from our fellow man is what we choose and what we are cursed with, until we see that there is a better way.

And there IS a better way! Stop seeing those around you as your enemy, and start seeing them as your brother.

ADDED LATER:

Although I think I stated my views in a fairly straightforward manner above, maybe the meaning will be lost. So I want to offer further explanation:

It sickens me that many Christians nowadays think that they must fight those of other faiths. Not only does this keep us on different 'sides' but does not provide the answers/ satisfaction/ thirst-quenching that Jesus wanted us to communicate to others.

If modern Christians were able to see Jesus as the fulfillment or culmination of humankind's earlier expressions of a search for God, the true meaning of the good news of the gospel could be realized, and more easily communicated.

God does not compete with any. To say that God competes with any other entity puts that entity on the same level as God.

The Bible is one big story, that we were meant to learn from. In Genesis, Cain's lame defense"Am I my brother's keeper?" carried an implied "YES, in fact, you are!" and this is the very same directive of Jesus -- "Love your neighbor as yourself." Cain and Abel did not worship God in the same way, but they were still brothers, not enemies.

Your brother IS your neighbor, and your neighbor IS your brother, even if they be Hindu, Mormon, Catholic, believe in nothing at all, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Faith Versus Fear

I feel that my last post, 'Shattered Plans' was really meaty, and I just want to take another quick look at the dynamics of that Luke 12:15-34 quote of Jesus'. It was a little on the large side and some may have glanced over it, not seeing its tremendous power and simplicity.

(You can click either of those two links above to read Luke 12:15-34. I feel it's redundant for me to quote it again, and would bog this post down. Sorry!)

What meaning I get from reading this, is that you don't have to have huge faith, providing you do not have great treasures. A small amount of faith is all that is needed to counter any fears, if you have little or no treasures to lose.

Later, in Matthew 17:20 Jesus says,

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

And also he says in Luke 17:6,

"And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you."

The context of both those passages talk of neglected prayer and fasting (going without), and needs of self improperly placed ahead of others needs. Perhaps the tree and mountain represent the mass of attachments/Earthly treasures/worldly cares that hold us back? Shedding those cares, then "Faith the size of a mustard seed" is all that is needed!

1Jo 4:18 KJV - "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

Perfect love says, "Mi casa es su casa!" Perfect love wants the best for others, those things the individual used to want for himself. Perfect love is not competitive.

How did I get from talking about 'faith' to talking of 'love'? But perfect love IS a very simple trust that God has us in his hand, and we can release those worldly cares. Perfect love IS faith the size of a mustard seed, a small thing, but not inconsequential!

Shattered Plans

I'm seeing some similarities in my life, and a common thread.

I am very concerned about my son's progress in school, his extra-curricular activities and the quality of his friends and associates.

Why?

Because I have plans for him. I want him to succeed in life. He MUST succeed in life!

I am still recovering from my divorce. It's hard for me to give up on the plans for our future together, and our children's future.

Job 17:11 (KJV) - My days are past, my purposes are broken off, [even] the thoughts of my heart.

At fifty, my view of the world is quite different than it was at twenty. All those years ago I felt like I had infinite potential to succeed.

But now?

Now it seems I have become either cynical or maybe just resigned to life, and I see less and less reason to plan.

Psalms 146:4 (KJV) - His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

In each case I see a grief over the perceived loss of these goals.

I can see it farther back in my personal history as well. In this ending decade I have realized that my political party has been taken over by greedy men who consider the end more important than the means, and I'm sad over the loss of great ideals.

Job 5:12 KJV - He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform [their] enterprise.

'Global Warming' and 2012 doomsday scenarios- Why do they scare and upset? Nothing puts a crimp in your plans like discussing the pending destruction of humanity!

James 4:13-16 (KJV) - Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

Maybe the stunted economy is warping my view, getting me to think that my country is also in decline. Or maybe the sickened economy is proof that our country really is in decline! Can we recover? What exactly is this feeling of loss, if not the trashing of a dream?

Proverbs 19:21 (KJV) - [There are] many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

The church is not immune. It seems easy to see its breakdown, from control by politically minded leaders to the exposed corruption of those we are asked to trust. In the absence of the strong, the spotlight falls on marginal and delusional crackpots who just want to be responsible for stirring the pot, inciting dissension. And of course this makes for very easy targets for atheists and other critics.

With the possible exception of 2012 doomsday scenarios (which I find very 'entertaining' right along discussions of the Zombie Apocalypse), I am feeling some grief and loss in all these areas. Where does that feeling of loss come from? What have I 'lost'?

Proverbs 16:9 (KJV) - A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

I guess I have to say that in making these plans, having these goals, I have been collecting Earthly treasures. We all know of physical treasure, like the pirates chest full of gold doubloons, or in modern terms, the Escalade and the beach house. But treasure can also be intangible thoughts like goals, ideals.

What did Jesus say?

Luke 12:11-14 (KJV) - And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and [unto] magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

(I think Jesus was saying- "Hey, do you think your estate is of ANY importance?")

He continues:

Luke 12:15-34 (KJV) - And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry.
But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

So [is] he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body [is more] than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith?

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What do you really care about?

Can we strip ourselves of all caring, so as to not have any 'attachments'? Some do.

What earthly (or heavenly) good is it to anyone else, if a person is freed from 'attachments' through detachment, becoming a veritable hermit?

OR- [WHISPER]pssst! There may be a better way![/WHISPER]

Are there healthier things to care about, that can never be stolen or lost? Are there any 'safe bets' for our investment?

Here are two or three:

Matthew 22:37-39 (KJV) - Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind ...and... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mark 12:30,31 (KJV) - ...thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength ...and... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Luke 10:27 (KJV) - ...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Loving God-- always a safe bet that you can never lose out on.

And loving your fellow human being, despite anything they might do to you, is also a safe bet, because no one can ever take that from you.

The love you have to give is a never ending resource. It never came from external things, and has always come from within you!

The TV show Fringe, and Identity

Any watchers of the TV show, 'Fringe'?

In this TV show there are two parallel universes at war with each other. There is an urgency to protect 'this' side at the expense of the 'other' side. Each side has a different goal, and the identity of each character is to be allied with one side and therefore against the other side.

But what would happen if the brilliant scientist of both universes, Walter/Walternate, figured out that they are not really working at cross-purposes, that they have the same goals? What if they had the following conversation?:

WALTER: "I'm so sorry I stole your son. I was just trying to..."

WALTERNATE: "...save his life. Yes. And you did. If you had not, he would have died. I am eternally grateful to you for that."

WALTER: "Thank you!"

WALTERNATE: "Now I think you and I need to figure out how to..."

WALTER: "...repair the damage to the continuum! Yes! Exactly what I was thinking! Asteroid, get us some pudding, we've got WORK to do!"

That's an idea of what might happen if they decided to work together. But, what would happen if one 'side' won, and completely destroyed their mirror? What would Broyles, Olivia, Peter, Astrid, and dear old Walter do? There would be no more identity as part of the Fringe division because there would no longer be a reason for the Fringe division to exist. So there must be a higher ultimate purpose in their individual lives.

Does our life have any significance to it? Most people would say Yes. Because our life has meaning is precisely why our identity or life's purpose can not be laid out in an 'us versus them' framework. The ultimate meaning of life somehow goes beyond this life, whatever that might mean. The temporary conflict of 'us versus them' is no more reality and has no more permanence than a fictional TV show.

Are you more defined by what you stand against, or what you stand for?

We look out into space, and no matter how far we try to see, even to aiding our vision with special telescopes and instrumentation, and what do we find? We find more space, and so we get a concept of infinity. But what if we found a wall? Some might think that meant the boundary. But then someone would ask how thick that wall was, which would imply that there was a farther edge and more space on the other side of course. So you see, no matter what we find at the farthest reaches of space, to us it will always mean infinity! So, who is it that glimpses the infinite? Whoever it is, is way beyond an 'us versus them' identity.

Baseball, hot-dogs, and apple pie!

I hope you'll excuse me just this once if I present some questions designed to stimulate thought. Some, most, of these are rhetorical in nature, and I guarantee that you will have a different set of answers than the person sitting next to you in the pew at church. But that's OK. We don't all have to be the same!

1. How has God interacted with us in the past?

2. Can we infer that this is how God normally continues to interact with us?

3. Why did Jesus ask us to be like the little children?

4. What do we expect of ourselves and others, as Christians?

5. Can you have a relationship with someone if you are hiding from them, or if they are hiding themselves from you?

6. Is Christianity about knowledge that you believe? Or is it about having a relationship? Is it from a book, or experience?

7. How does this change our idea or practice of modern faith? Do we need to be doing anything differently?

My thoughts:
Question 1 can be taken two ways. Historical can mean Biblically, or personally.

Question 2 is actually asking if God changes. Does it make sense that He would?

Question 3: because being childlike is to be full of wonder, excitement, and openness.

Question 4: to have a 'personal' relationship with God, however that is expressed.

Question 5: No, a relationship is revealing one another. In my humble opinion, God continues to reveal himself to us, both from the written word and from life itself. Even if you say that revelation is ONLY from the written word and not from life, then it is a special, personal interaction with God that we derive from our experience of reading that word, and so is a personal revelatory experience.

Question 6: Let me illustrate by asking a similar question-- Is being American about 'baseball, hot-dogs, and apple pie', or about following all the laws, being a good citizen? Of course it is about both. But what a sad existence if you left out the 'baseball, hot-dogs, and apple pie' side of being an American citizen!
And just as a degree in art is inferior to actually having the vision of an artist or being an artist, getting an 'A+' on a theology test is completely inferior to having a personal relationship through God's ongoing revelation of himself to us.
Jesus said:

John 10:10 KJV "...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly."

We are to live!

The Bible says that Satan and his demons also have knowledge of God, probably more than is even recorded in the Bible, so obviously it is not knowledge of any sort that saves.

Jam 2:19 KJV "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

Are we self-sufficient in our knowledge, or do we trust in the living God?

Question 7: Yeah- live! Whatever you do, dedicate it to God.

The Prodigal Son and Marley & Me

It occurred to me today that if any of us were to come up with a story like Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son to illustrate God's love for us, that there would probably be a lot of legalistic nay-sayers that would explode with criticism. "Why does the story not include some sacrificial imagery, or some sort of reference to payment? The father can't just accept him back. It wouldn't be fair, or just!" (Which is exactly the argument presented by the older brother in the story.) Let me be clear- I am not saying that Jesus' death on the cross had/has no meaning. I'm not saying that we don't need Jesus, or that we can bypass Jesus. I do believe that all salvation does go through Jesus Christ. ((Whew!))

Here's my motive in bringing this up- in order to tell another story. I knew this other story is very simplistic, in that it also neglects to include the entire 'plan of salvation'. Just so we're clear-- I already know this!

I just watched the movie 'Marley & Me' again today. I've seen it now five times. It is such a wonderful movie! The movie follows a young couple throughout years of marriage and raising their kids, and the whole time that we get to see their struggles and triumphs, we see how their dog is a part of all of it. The dog chews up the furniture, knocks out the screen on the door, swallows jewelry, ruins dinners and special occasions, alienates neighbors and babysitters, and defies any and every sort of idea of control that they can come up with. Saying that the dog is willful is an understatement! He is self-will run amok!

In the end of the movie the family gets to think back of their lives with Marley, how everything that made them a family involved him. No one asks the question, because it's so obvious what the answer would be-- "Of COURSE we would do it again!" All those years, whenever Marley would chew up the sofa cushions or eat some household appliance, all those little events seemed not only to be huge problems, but reflected flaws in his doggie character. And yet... At the end of the movie when the family is remembering how their lives had been enriched by the company of this dog, those events were not a problem at all. Those weren't flaws in the dog's character, but his way of expressing his joy of life, which didn't always fit in with the expectations of his human family. You can almost hear them say, "Of course everything is forgiven! Of course we love you, Marley! We always did!"

'Marley & Me' is not a story of salvation. But it is a story about life, and how we tend to get way too serious in thinking about our flaws.

As a kid, I used to lay in my bed at night for hours, wracked with guilt that I had laughed at the wrong time in a conversation, or that I had forgotten something obvious in a moment of embarrassment in front of others. I felt ashamed that I could not easily express myself. I would feel red hot embarrassment if the whole family was watching TV and a feminine hygiene commercial played, or if the show had characters that were in bed, or taking their shirt off. I felt guilty about not catching the fly ball earlier in the day, or not having the needed coordination to keep from traveling in basketball. I even felt guilty and embarrassed about stressful misunderstandings between TV characters in the shows, or in fictional stories! As if it weren't enough to be teased and ridiculed by fellow school kids, or chewed out or ignored by my parents, I beat myself up over any and everything, at the drop of a hat! No doubt about it- I was my own worst enemy.

But here's what I'm here to say today--

Just as the father loved his prodigal son and accepted him back without hesitation, without question,

just as the family loved their dog Marley enough to fully accept all of his quirky behavior,

God accepts and loves us. Yes, just like that!

Now, knowing that God loves and accepts us, can we love and accept ourselves? Can we stop being our own worst enemy, yet?