I have a crazy theory that athletes actually grow closer to God simply by virtue of the training. They get up everyday and follow their passion, take the risk of competing, and win or lose they have an identity that is derived in part from their physical being. That's a little superficial but it beats taking your identity from your job. Sure there are lots of non-athletes in a similar place but I've just always thought that athletes were in the process of learning about who they really are, which is a journey toward God. As I grow up I’m learning that many people are far ahead of me on the journey of self discovery without having a Christian Religious context to it.
I personally didn't find any traction in my attempts to learn who I was until I rediscovered God but that doesn't mean God isn't taking other people through exercises, and trials outside a religious context, which are actually all about God. God turns some people from a dependent into an ally before he introduces himself.
To people taking this different path to God I seem ultra-religious. I've become very holistic (non-western, non-compartmentalized) about my life. All of the things that I'm passionate about seem to me intrinsically wrapped in and around my faith. In fact the things that are moving farther from my faith walk are the things most people would consider as religious. I'm less churched than ever and I'm ever more irreverent by the day. I started rejecting dogma and now I don't give a hoot about most doctrine. I'm actually having a hard time calling myself a Christian at this point. Not because I don't love Jesus, but because He didn't call his followers that. The Greeks at Antioch started calling them Christians about 100 AD. I prefer to think of myself as a citizen in God's kingdom. I think it's important to believe in Christ but some who are saved won't know his name, so the most important thing is our relationship with God.
Anyway, it’s impossible for me to tell who is on a path toward a salvation and who isn't. Still there is a lot of suffering out there, and I want to do something about it. I’ve learned the hard way that we can easily ruin someone’s life by helping (enabling) them. Not everyone who crosses my path is mine to help. I have to pray and ask permission before I help or I will get in the way of what God is up to. The main thing I can give is grace and compassion.
Introduction
A few decades ago C. S. Lewis wrote a pretty radical book called, “Mere Christianity.” In it, he makes a very good point. That it’s not about Christianity and vegetarianism or Christianity and submersion baptism, etc. it’s just about Christ.
The Apostle Paul, who is perhaps our major source for explaining what is and is not Christian, made an ironically similar comment. In Corinthians 2:2 he wrote, “I came unto you determined to know nothing, but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.” The purpose of this site is to strip away the walls of denominationalism, or culture and let people of radically differing ideas rest a bit. I’m going to invite a few friends to post here with the intention opening it up as a moderated forum in a few weeks. Our goal is to inspire each other and the occasional visitor with pure, simple intimacy with God.
These are my belief statements, there is only 2 in keeping with the theme of this site.
My belief statements:
- That everyone sins and falls short of what God intended for them.
- That Jesus Christ is the son of God, born human, and though he lived without sin he died to pay the price for our sin.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
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