Life has pieces. Sometimes the pieces are all over the place, and sometimes the pieces are in fairly decent order. Sometimes the pieces seem to form a recognizable pattern, and sometimes they look totally random. Some pieces have rounded, harmless edges, and some pieces are dangerously sharp without mercy. But always pieces.
The humanist goal, then, would be to hold your pieces together. It's your job and yours alone to hold them together. Whoever does the best job of holding them together wins. Those who hold the pieces together well are the examples to follow, the inspiring stories, the stuff of legends. We particularly love the stories of those who had the most jagged pieces and then figured out how to hold them together with excellence. Indeed, there is much to commend, here, but one way to look at humanism is in terms of it's goal of holding the pieces together well.
The goal of religion, then, is to hold your sanctified pieces together. Religion is a baptized humanism, because it's your job and yours alone to hold those religious pieces together. Whoever does the best job of holding them together wins a golden crown, or something. The religious folks love to hold up such people as the examples and the inspiring stories, especially those who started with the most jagged pieces.
One slice of the religious community is the word-faith folks, otherwise known as the "prosperity gospel" or "name it and claim it." Their goal is for God to hold your pieces together so that you will win the same game as the humanists. As humble and righteous as it may sound that God is the one holding those pieces together, it still comes down to the same goal: to win by having your pieces held together well.
Jesus doesn't play these games. Jesus doesn't exist to hold these pieces together for you. He didn't come to earth to pick up your pieces, rearrange them, and then give you something prettier than what you started with. Rather, He says, "Your pieces are broken. I will dwell among them with you. Dwell with me among them, too. Eventually, I will replace them." Yes, he does clean some of them up and hold them together for us. Yes, we are more able to hold some of them together because of Him. But it's not the goal to hold those pieces together. That's the difference.
We dwell among broken pieces, and denying that truth leads to all kinds of false plans to reach false goals. His goal in our lives is not better management of the pieces, but rescue from them and full restoration. His method is to dwell in the broken pieces with us (for now), using those pieces as props in order to renew us. His goal for us is not better pieces, but to be a renewed people. In fact, He chose to take on broken pieces when He took on a fully human nature in the Incarnation to rescue us.
Since we will always have the pieces in this world, we can either deny the pieces or dwell in them with the One who chose brokenness with us. We will be renewed only by dwelling with Him there (for now).
Your pieces right now may seem overwhelming, and I have no intention of minimizing the anguish they cause. Quite the contrary - I'm embracing that anguish. The anguish is the intensity from which Jesus can rescue, restore, and renew. There is peace in the pieces.
Showing posts with label broken. Show all posts
Showing posts with label broken. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Are you broken?
Are you broken?
Sallie has a relative who she cares about a great deal. She's known this relative since she was a little girl, and saw her on holidays, birthdays, and even just casual family gatherings. She loves her relative, but her relative will, on rare occasion, bark at Sallie some of the harshest, most hateful things - especially when Sallie says anything about Jesus or the church. At times, Sallie lashes back - only to deeply regret it. Now, before every holiday, Sallie begins to have gut-knotting anxiety about talking with her relative. In this relationship, Sallie is broken. Are you broken?
Sam has been told all his life two contradictory things: "You're going a good job!" and "You're not doing a good enough job!" Compliments from his parents were always followed by a comment about what mistakes were made. Try as he might, he could never get a perfect score at school - and when tests came, he would tense up and get a full letter grade worse than his own average. At work, he can't seem to finish a full project without some major mistake. Now, when Sam hears both "You're doing a good job" and "You're not doing a good enough job," he's the one saying it. In his self-image, Sam is broken. Are you broken?
David's got a sin habit that he thinks no one else knows about. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself. He's tried to stop - and has. Many times. For about a week. His record is just over two months. And then failure again and again. He's a Christian, and criticizes himself that a Christian shouldn't feel this powerless against sin. He's read everything, prayed constantly, and tried to change the situation. But there he is - a repeat offender. In righteousness, David is broken. Are you broken?
Mary has had to make decisions beyond her years ever since her father died when she was 6. Mom wasn't really much parental help after that - she had her own problems, some in bottle form. But Mary did a good job looking out for herself. She got herself ready for school every day, caught the bus, worked a part-time job, got a few scholarships to work her way through community college, then a good job, and even a Master's degree. She's in middle management at a bank, running her own life, taking care of her own house, relying on herself for her own relationships. But the relationships usually end up in disaster, her job is unfulfilling and her efforts often go unnoticed. Her house has lost so much value that she can't afford to move, but the prices in the neighborhood keep dropping. Mom is bitter at her, and she's just flat out tired of the rat race. In running her own life, Mary is broken. Are you broken?
Jesus says in Matthew 11: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Sallie has a relative who she cares about a great deal. She's known this relative since she was a little girl, and saw her on holidays, birthdays, and even just casual family gatherings. She loves her relative, but her relative will, on rare occasion, bark at Sallie some of the harshest, most hateful things - especially when Sallie says anything about Jesus or the church. At times, Sallie lashes back - only to deeply regret it. Now, before every holiday, Sallie begins to have gut-knotting anxiety about talking with her relative. In this relationship, Sallie is broken. Are you broken?
Sam has been told all his life two contradictory things: "You're going a good job!" and "You're not doing a good enough job!" Compliments from his parents were always followed by a comment about what mistakes were made. Try as he might, he could never get a perfect score at school - and when tests came, he would tense up and get a full letter grade worse than his own average. At work, he can't seem to finish a full project without some major mistake. Now, when Sam hears both "You're doing a good job" and "You're not doing a good enough job," he's the one saying it. In his self-image, Sam is broken. Are you broken?
David's got a sin habit that he thinks no one else knows about. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself. He's tried to stop - and has. Many times. For about a week. His record is just over two months. And then failure again and again. He's a Christian, and criticizes himself that a Christian shouldn't feel this powerless against sin. He's read everything, prayed constantly, and tried to change the situation. But there he is - a repeat offender. In righteousness, David is broken. Are you broken?
Mary has had to make decisions beyond her years ever since her father died when she was 6. Mom wasn't really much parental help after that - she had her own problems, some in bottle form. But Mary did a good job looking out for herself. She got herself ready for school every day, caught the bus, worked a part-time job, got a few scholarships to work her way through community college, then a good job, and even a Master's degree. She's in middle management at a bank, running her own life, taking care of her own house, relying on herself for her own relationships. But the relationships usually end up in disaster, her job is unfulfilling and her efforts often go unnoticed. Her house has lost so much value that she can't afford to move, but the prices in the neighborhood keep dropping. Mom is bitter at her, and she's just flat out tired of the rat race. In running her own life, Mary is broken. Are you broken?
Jesus specializes in broken people. In fact, He doesn't work with anyone else. If you're broken, come to Him. And let someone who knows Him know that you're broken. They are broken, too.
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