Terrible Love vs. Laser Vision

So when I was younger, my parents bought me a Superman cape to wear around the house because I wanted to be a hero at that stage of my life (I'm still in that stage of life, too). And I wore that cape a lot. I put it on and became super strong, learned to fly, and to shoot lasers out of my eyes. It became a part of my identity to "fight crime" in the Jacobson house and to "knock it to the ground" and tell it "I'm Superman!"

Unfortunately for me, the "crime" that I was fighting and knocking to the ground had a name: Lindsey. However, fortunately for me, I seemed to have dodged a bullet on this particular occasion because I never got punished for that.

But I was the hero; I was indestructible; I had the power!

There's been a lot in the news recently about people who remember what happened ten years ago and where they were when the got the news about the Twin Towers. It has reminded me of the pain that many people experience and continue to experience because of losing loved ones. It has reminded me of the prejudice, even hatred that some feel for others. This day reminds me of the pain and emotion (almost every one of them is being felt somewhere) because of terrible tragedies.

And so I have to ask myself what I think about 9/11 in light of my faith in a good, loving, and forgiving God. So where was God in all of this?

From what I know of the God that I have seen and experienced, God was in New York. He was running up flights of steps to try to find one more person to lead out of a falling building. He was in D.C. He was in Pennsylvania putting out fires in a field. And I'm even going to say that he was in the Middle East wrapping his loving, compassionate arms around the families who had just lost a loved one.

That was a terrifying day, certainly. But I think there is more to it than just that. Because on that day, an amazing thing happened too. (I'm not saying that I think that 9/11 happened so this would also happen, just that people responded in a way that looked like more like the kingdom than like this broken world.) Many people, instead of using their relationships to control and manipulate others, called a loved one that they hadn't spoken to in months or even years to tell them they loved each other. Families put aside differences in order to show their love for each other. People all over realized a love that was deeper than relationships based on power or control. A love was found that was based on humanity, rather than ability.

Henri Nouwen says that power can become an easy substitute for love. It is "easier to control people than to love people." But for a brief moment, it didn't matter that I had ever worn a Superman cape and been powerful. What mattered was my sister and the fact that I loved her. (You better read this, Lindsey!) What mattered were the people that surrounded me, and them knowing that I cared about them.

I think that is a bit of what the terrible love of the kingdom of God can look like (Terrible as in serious or extreme, not horrific). People lay aside their abilities and their resumes and instead take up their humanity. Even in the worst of situations, where death and pain seem to have won the day, there is love still. And I'm willing to bet that this love, the love that comes from God, is stronger than laser vision.

Easter Again?

Easter was just eight days ago, but maybe we should celebrate again...

One thing that I have noticed about myself and others around me is that we all have very firm opinions. These opinions range from favorite foods to favorite sports teams (the Rangers, by the way) and from ways of life to ways of viewing life. Everyone is obsessed with what they think the best thing is and how to "help" others see that this is the best thing, myself definitely included.

But what if this isn't the way that we were intended to live around each other. I remember in elementary and middle school being asked to write persuasive speeches or letters to my parents or friends. I also distinctly remember not being any good at them. I would write what I thought was a decent persuasion, but at the end of it, I learned that I was wrong (or maybe just that my parents were extremely stubborn).

Maybe we weren't supposed to relate to each other by thinking what was in our own personal best interests, but by asking what was in the best interests of everyone involved.

If that's the case, then Easter makes much more sense to me. Jesus came to live among us, not to show us how terrible we were or to show what was best for himself. He came, died, and then lived again so that everyone could do the same.

I know that this is one of those topics that everyone has a very firm opinion of, but I can't help but think about the Easter holiday when thinking about the death of bin Laden. Maybe it's because the holiday was so close in proximity, or maybe it's because we view Easter more as a holiday than a lifestyle. I can't help but think that we (myself included again here) missed something.

Just a week after celebrating Christ's resurrection and new life that comes from that, we (as a nation) are celebrating death. Something there doesn't quite resonate with these two events for me. While I am not saying that I believe bin Laden deserved life or death (that's not for me to decide anyways), I am saying that I question the reaction to such an event from a Christian's perspective.

I'm not saying this to stir the pot or try to make people feel guilty or make people think exactly what I think. I'm saying this because I think that I've missed out on something that happens at Easter for everyone, and maybe you have too. Easter isn't a holiday, it's a lifestyle. If Christ is resurrected, it changes everything. Everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, living conditions, political views, or country of origin has access to life. Not all choose it, but everyone has access.

If you believe this, Easter becomes more than a holiday, and the death of a person does not give reason to celebrate.

So maybe we (or maybe just me) need to celebrate Easter again, just eight days after it actually happened. But this time without death as the focus. This time, Easter will mean that everyone can have life.

Jesus came to bring life, and not just for me, but for the world and everyone in it. It's time that I recognize that life is meant for more people than just me. And maybe, just maybe, the whole church needs this too.

A Flood of Justice

So the past couple weeks, I have been listening to Jon Foreman a lot, which isn't too out of the ordinary. However, I have been listening to one song more than others: 'Instead of a Show.' The lyrics indicate that rather than constantly being fed and fed by the church and instead of the church putting on a show for those in attendance, the church should open up a flood of justice.

As I think about these things, I can't help but feel small. After all, I am just one college aged kid who doesn't know as much about life or difficult circumstances as most other people in the world do. I feel small because I don't know what difference I can make or whether or not I will mess it up if I can make a difference. But then again, if I am a part of God's plan, I don't really think I have a say in whether or not I can mess it up.

And going back to the Jon Foreman's song something really resonates with me when I think about the words and what the role of the church should be in the world. We (the church, God's people) are a people set apart by God, not simply so that we can feel special or have a bigger place in God's heart, but rather so that we can turn around and show others that the spot we have in God's heart is not just for us but for everyone else too. And that sounds to me like a good bit of justice.

From last summer I really learned a lot about some of the injustices of the world. Spending time with street kids helped me to see that there is a lot that has gone wrong with the world. The fact that kids don’t have anywhere to go where they feel wanted that they turn to the streets is, in my mind, a terrible thing. I have to think about my growing up and realize that I had more than I could have ever needed and I grew up in a church that was very much the same way.

So where does the church fit on the continuum of justice? Has it been moving toward the justice end more and more? Or the injustice end? And even more than the church, where do I fit on the continuum?

"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

What would it look like if every action I took was deeply cemented in justice? If every action of every Jesus follower was first dedicated to justice? That flood of justice just might start to look a little bit like the kingdom of God here on earth.