Stolen

Ok last night, something happened while I was sleeping. I guess during the early morning some guys decided to break into my car and................. "borrow" a few things lol Bascially they took my cd player, and all the audio equipment that was in my trunk. In all they probablly took between 1500 and $2,000 worth of equipment, as well as leaving a destroyed lock mechanizm on the passenger side.

But here is the strange part......my reaction. I got up in the early a.m. to go for a morning run. I was all suited up in several layers of thermals, considering that it was 30 degrees out. And when I was stretching I looked over at my car and noticed that the trunk was open. I thought "hum thats strange". But as I walked closer to the car I felt a release. It was freeing experience. But wait thats not right.....

Those stupid punks, who do they think they are, breaking into my car and takeing my stuff, that I enjoy so much, that I had worked so many hours to purchase and put so much time into installing and maintaining. And most likely they are going to sell it and blow it on something stupid. This is so wrong. But it was just so strange that none of this was on my mind, none of this was in my heart.

Some how I didn't feel hatred, revenge, or even anger towards these guys. I actually feel compassion because of this experience with the brokeness of this world. These guys are absolutely broken and they dont even know it. I just wish that I could do something more for them............ I just dont now what.

And as I mentioned earlier, I felt in some way "freed". As Travis Keller mentioned in his recent blog, that we allow so many things to drive a wedge between us and others. I know that historically, this stuff has driven a wedge between me and others, it was been a crutch for me, a way to make friends, a way for me to build and establish my reputation, a way for me to define myself. But no more, its gone!! And with it goes one more distraction from the things in life that really matter. One more material thing that was distracting me from becoming. I can breathe a little deeper because this burden has been taken off my shoulders. I'm free. (I actually have a trunk now lol)

Right now I am just absolutey floored. Three years ago I would have flipped out! I would have called the police and would have plotted how I could catch these guys and give them what they deserve!!! Oh but to think of how far my savior has brought me. Its all him, there is nothing in me that would elicit such a Christ like response. Oh what joy... that the gospel is not just a free ticket to heaven, but it is alive today. Salvation is not just from hell, but salvation is alive in the here and now. We can be saved from sin, and transformed into something so much more, right here, right now. He came not just to get us to heaven, but to restore us to wholeness. How beautiful the gospel is! How beautiful our Savior is!

Gospel and War?

I just got out of a very long yet, good conversation with my good friend Kris Browning. Basically our conversations centered around war, and the defense of others. Now I have been wrestling with this issue for years now, and have been back and forth. But during the journey that Christ has been taking me through about what the gospel is, I think that now I have a much different perspective. While I was challenged in some of my thinking(which I am very grateful for) and had to re think, I walked away with some resounded thoughts in my head. Is the gospel only relevant or needed in the majority of situations, implying that there are some situations that we must act differently?

See I believe that the gospel (the good news) is the restoration and reconciliation of all of creation back to wholeness. Its the good news that brokenness doesn't have to be perpetuated, and that wholeness in all of life is offered freely. Didn't Christ more than exemplify the gospel in His life and His words? And as followers or disciples of Christ our lives are on the journey towards becoming whole, in the image of Christ.

So then, How can I justify hurting or killing someone else to protect someone, or to defend something? How can the gospel and the giving of brokenness ever be reconciled??????

"But when you fail to protect the lives of others, you are letting any other chance of them coming to Christ be put to an end! And Christ would have stopped it at all cost" I'm told. But here I must ask - Are we assuming that the gospel is based on results? Has modernism tainted our understanding of the gospel? Where does God's sovereignty come in?

All that I know is that as a follower of Christ I am on a mission. lol My entire purpose is to pursue the reconciliation or wholeness of All of creation. And I can't believe that Christ would have me inflict more brokenness to accomplish this end. Brokenness + more brokenness does not = wholeness! Brokenness + Sacrifice = Wholeness. At least that's my limited understanding of the Gospel.