Ridiculous

If we expect our faith to make a difference in our lives and in our world, then we must do the “different” things God calls us to do.

The Passover event was ridiculous from start to finish. Plagues devastating one massive geographic/ethnic community while the neighboring community remains unaffected? Ridiculous.

A nation of people told to slaughter a perfectly good lamb in their doorway, and smear its blood on the door jamb? Ridiculous.

An entire community instructed to pack their bags and prepare a fast meal because they’d be freed from slavery soon? Ridiculous.

Faced with a really ticked off Egyptian army on one side and an impassible body of water on the other, and they’re told to trust God to make a way? Ridiculous.

Do you realize how ridiculous our ancestors were?

Their level of ridiculousness had no counterpart in their culture, and yet they did it. And they were the ones who prevailed.

We are all faced with slavery. Many forces try to bind us – debt, employers, sickness, distress, dysfunctional relationships, normal-everyday-apathy, keeping-up/down-with-the-Jones’ – what seeks to enslave you?

I wonder sometimes if we’ll ever break the cycle we find ourselves in individually, relationally, as a faith family, as a nation, as a global community. Probably not.

Unless we get ridiculous.

God is calling us to be set apart, different, holy – all of which looks ridiculous in comparison with the status quo. But has the status quo done a very good job with the economy, hunger, the AIDS pandemic, global warming, genocide, healthcare, war…

Want to see a different reality? Want to see your faith make a difference? Do the “different” things God calls us to do, and encourage others to do the same.

Maybe then we’ll see even the powers of death pass over us, and great barriers part to make a way for life to continue toward a better future.

Or is that ridiculous?

Consider this prayer...
God, the Christian status quo in the US has been utterly underwhelming. Help me identify the "different" things you are calling me to do. Give me courage to begin doing those "different" things, even if they feel and look ridiculous at first. Help me not to whine and complain - like our ancestral Israelites did - even though they were free and on their way to the Promised Land. Help me trust more and more in you. I trust you to provide life in the face of death, and a way when there seems to be no way. May you work in me to bring more of you into more of this world. Amen!

Questions to ponder...
1. What do you suppose it was like for our faith ancestors to act in such ridiculous ways?

2. As a church, we often look at a few areas of behavior as indicators of spiritual health: our daily devotional habits, our involvement in community, our giving of ourselves/resources for the sake of the Kingdom, our involvement in service, our having a worshipful attitude. How are you doing in these areas? What is God calling you to do in order to shape you even more?

3. What keeps you from embracing the "different" things of God? Lack of discipline? Embarrassment? Cheese? Just seeing if you're reading...

4. What are you going to do differently because of God's call and promise to lead you well in your pursuit of life abundant?

5. How gutsy are you to be ridiculous?