OBEDIENT...EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU

Something you're bound to experience if you spend anytime within the church is the long list of things you're NOT ALLOWED TO DO. When I was a child it had more to do with the cartoons I couldn't watch or which action figures were off limits. But as I grew into my teenager years I was taught the evils of drinking, swearing, smoking, making out with girls, listening to particular music, hanging out with certain people...honestly, the list seemed to grow with every week I attended church.

I understand now that the rules and commands were put in place out of a sincere concern and caring for me. However, as a guilt ridden, confused and easily influenced teenager my faith was a constant roller coaster ride. After all, I had just watched the movie Se7en and liked it and was currently listening to a lot of grunge. It didn't fit in with what I was learning at church. I felt like one minute I was on my way to heaven and the next I was destine to burn in hell. I was not a healthy spiritual being, in fact I felt like I was on life support most of the time.

            Unfortunately, even as I grew and matured I still didn't feel like my church was allowing me the liberty to observe my personal free will, practice my faith in a way I saw as fit or simply experience making a mistake. I guess I was not trusted with the great amount of freedom that God offers. So much freedom in fact, that I admit, it happens to be a bit scary.

I know I really shouldn't be so hard on the church because in reality they were just acting like any caring, overprotective parent who is trying to do the right thing for their children. I'm sure I'll be just as much of a mess with my daughter when she grows up and starts testing her freedoms. Really there is nothing wrong with rules and commands as long as there is a balance. 

            What I have learned from my experiences is that as Christians, we concern ourselves with and spend considerable time focusing on the commandments and the rules (what we CAN and CANNOT DO) and rightfully so. Yet, from what I can gather and what I've seen is that we are more concerned, obsessed and focused on what we CAN'T DO and that the things we CAN DO tend to get ignored. We spend our lives tip toeing around the "CAN'T DO'S", repenting for doing them, spending our existence in fear of them and as a result we fail miserably at the CAN DO'S.

One day I was recounting to a friend of mine about an incredible article I read about Bono in Rolling Stone Magazine talking about his work in Africa with AIDS, his debt relief work and his personal faith. My friend responded by saying, "I'm not so sure I would consider Bono a Christian because in his Grammy Awards speech he used the F-word". Are we not more worried about the CAN'T DO'S than the DO'S?

            In the Gospels, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is. Knowing that people were "religiously" focused on the CAN'T DO'S, Jesus replies beautifully to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. He effectively instituted the most important CAN DO."

People were often coming to Jesus looking for Him to validate the commandments, the law and in effect their own righteousness and selfish gains. They believed, just as many of us attest to today by our actions, that by obeying the commandments they were somehow more spiritual, or at least on God's good side. Jesus would do and say much to refute that doctrine however. The new command that He put in place left little room for misinterpretation or for self-righteousness. Basically, if we don't love our neighbor than we are breaking all the commandments.

In fact, on one occasion Jesus addressed the commandments by in effect saying that there was no way anyone could keep from breaking them, that even when we think lustfully or are angered we are guilty of adultery and murder. Jesus isn't discounting or trying to throw out the importance of the commandments. If I can paraphrase what I think Jesus is trying to say it might be something along the lines of, "stop kidding yourselves, you can't possibly keep all the laws and commandments, however if you focus on loving Me and you love your neighbor than you will be doing a pretty good job of obeying the commandments." Jesus later clarifies that loving your neighbor is more than an idea or thought; it's an action that often leads to having to lay your life down for them. 

In Jesus' day the Pharisees, like many religious people today, were also more concerned with the CAN'T DO'S to the point of ridiculous blindness to the needs of people. When Jesus was "DOING" by loving people, the Pharisees responded by reminding Him of the rules, "you can't heal on the Sabbath, you can't associate with prostitutes, and you can't eat and drink with sinners". Because Jesus stayed focused on the things he COULD DO, He was conspired against and finally killed because He did exactly what the religious leaders said he SHOULDN'T DO.

            For a long time I was missing out on opportunities to build friendships and care for others and instead came across as being an arrogant snob. I played basketball in a city sponsored recreational league and after the games some guys from the team would invite me to go out with them for a drink. I would always find some excuse because I was taught that the bar was not the best place for a Christian and that action would be a bad witness. Without much concern for others I was in the habit of routinely turning down invitations from people whom I could have had lasting and impacting friendships with. Such as having dinner at a Mormon friends house, tickets to attend Lollapalooza with a friend or attending a concert at a local bar to see an acquaintance play, all because they weren't good atmospheres for a Christian.

             I ask you the reader to at least consider the idea that it is possible with all our striving to obey the Commandments the one that is most often ignored is the command to love our neighbors. I truly believe that if we focused on the things we CAN DO, we wouldn't have to worry so much about the things we aren't supposed to be doing. When we are loving the Joneses (our neighbor) and not just trying to keep up with them, we won't have time to be envious, angered, jealous, hateful, and selfish. When you are loving them you aren't so much concern with how they dress or look, whether they smoke or curse, if they are republican or not, Pro-life or not. You are concerned with them as a person, as an eternal soul, let God deal with the other stuff.              

Could it be that we spend too much time telling the Gay community what they CAN'T DO and not enough time DOING by loving them as God would? Is it possible that we focus so much energy telling our culture what they CAN'T DO and not enough energy DOING by being imitators of God and really touching people's lives and changing culture? Maybe we need to trust the church enough to allow them to "go into the World" and be effective and not load them with burdens that they cannot carry. Remember what I mentioned earlier about having balance.  

            Don't misunderstand me, the Commandments are invaluable, rules are important and moral standards are crucial. But all the time and energy we spend in obedience to them is worthless unless we love our neighbor. And be aware. Learn from the Pharisees and don't become one or be harassed by one. Don't allow a religious institution to control you with rules and commands. We sometimes forget that over the centuries the church has had times of darkness when they used Gods Word to rule over the people and control them. Don't forget for a second the grace of God or be paralyzed into inactivity by guilt or shame.

            I want this to be a caution to us from holing ourselves up in the protection of the churches four walls, and completely ignoring the hurting world outside just to protect our reputation. Yes, I admit this can be dangerous and a bit scary. However, I want to encourage everyone to be DOERS. Do what is commanded. Love you neighbor. You're going to be called a "sinner", your going to be hassled and your going to want to give up. But don't worry, so did Jesus.