Complex Simplicity

A few weeks ago I had an early morning meeting, it so happened that someone else I knew was going to the same shindig, so we decided to go together. While I waited for my friend in an empty parking lot, I did what every human being does at 7:25 am in the morning, I started staring at trees. I know, I know you’re probably thinking “Who is this weirdo?” but the truth is that as I stared at these trees swaying in the wind all I could think was: “My God, how Beautiful!” The simple beauty of a tree swaying in the wind seemed amazing to me, how is it that something so simple had the ability to take my breath away.

The truth is however that the more I thought about it, the more I realized that behind the simplistic beauty that I was watching was a very complex occurrence. I am no meteorologist, but I do know that it isn’t a group of mystical pixies making the trees move, it’s way more complicated. You have to factor in atmospheric temperatures, pressure systems, humidity… you get the drift? It’s really complicated. However the end result is watching the trees in an empty parking lot at 7:25 am do a very simple yet beautiful dance.
As I continued to watch, I began to think about this thing we call Christianity. The truth is, our faith isn’t so different than a tree swaying in the wind. There is a complex simplicity about our faith. The things Christ asks us to do in the red letters of scripture seem so simple: “Love God,” “love your enemy,” “be my witnesses,” “Take care of the Poor and Oppressed,” these are things that we all read and think “Yeah, that’s what it’s all about.” But behind each one of His statements are complex issues, circumstances and situations that prevent us from seeing the simplistic beauty of these and many other commandments become reality in our lives and in our churches.

How does a wife who has just lost her husband to another woman “love her enemy?” How does a church that doesn’t seem to have any resources “take care of the poor and oppressed,” when they are having a hard time caring for themselves? These are the complexities behind the simple commandments of Christ. The things our Savior tells us to do, the attitudes, the practices, the beliefs that He asks us to imitate all make sense, they are all good, and they’re even inspirational. The one thing they are not however is convenient.

Our faith is simple “believe, go, tell,” but the truth is that we as humans have a tendency of complicating our lives so much that the simplicity of our faith is difficult to live out…or is it? The truth is that Jesus did not speak His “Good News” into a perfect world; he spoke His message into a broken, complex mess of a world, and yet he still tells him followers to do, think, believe and practice His simple message in the middle of the complexities of our societies, institutions and lives. He does not impose parameters or confusing conditions upon His message with its simple commandments, he just tells us to live it regardless of the complexities that may be attached to His simplicity.

When Jesus tells the rich young ruler to sell all of his possessions and follow him, the young man walks away from the Master with his dreams dashed. Behind the simple commandment “sell all your possessions and Follow me,” there were so many complexities attached to it. May we have the courage to do, believe and practice the simple commandments of Jesus even when behind them is found a complex mess.

Revival or Regurgitation?

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I was growing up and even throughout my college career I dreaded tests. I never did very well on any kind of test that ever came my way. Perhaps in part because by nature I am a dreamer who is easily distracted while trying to study and maybe also because I did not do well at regurgitating information that was very one sided. You all know exactly what I am talking about. If anyone ever dared have another answer or way of getting to that answer that was differed from their teacher or professor they would receive back a test full of red pen or even worst, no explanation at all with a huge ‘F’ at the very top of the page.

This very thing kept happening to me over and over, because my thinking pattern differed from my teachers. Although my answer was not the same as those who taught me, many times I did not mean that the answer I had given was innately wrong. It was at the very core the same but just a different manifestation than what had been expected of me. All through my academic career this had become a bone of contention that to this day makes me question whether or not I even want to put my children in a traditional learning environment.

Throughout history, institutions have taught people to think in very linear functions. If you would derive from these forms of thought, you would automatically be deemed an anarchist or rebel to conventional thinking. Your process of thought would then be discounted and by societal standards you would be destined for failure, while those who perhaps achieved the same or slightly different answers through a conventional route would then be praised and lifted high because of their conformity.

Unfortunately it is this type of thinking that has also been praised within the confines of the church. In the context of the body of Christ, I really believe that this can be the most hurtful and divisive tool that the enemy uses to destroy our effectiveness and solidarity. Case in point… The Lakeland Outpouring.

This thing has been deemed a revival by a large majority of the evangelical/ charismatic world. Between 5 and 10 thousand people show up every night to see what is happening and be apart of the miraculous work of God. Now whether you adhere to a positive or negative view of it, it is not what is in discussion here. What is at the forefront of conversation is this idea of “revival.” People, Christian Leaders, “revivalists,” have deemed the Lakeland outpouring a revival because of the size and magnitude of this thing, people are being attracted to it, so if it smells like a revival, tastes live a revival and looks like a revival it must be a revival. What I want to know is, who defines the criteria of revival? Is there such a criteria found in scripture or is what we have deemed as revival, really only a narrow view of what God does in the lives of believers and the communities in which they live?

What if there was a church body that was so in love with Christ that they actually began living their live as revived individuals? People whom the old nature has passed away and the new has infiltrated their every being. What if the overflow of their intense passion for Christ was active care, concern and compassion for the community around them? Would we consider this to be a “revival?” What if within this congregation there were no “manifestations” of the Spirit (falling over, healings, shouting in tongues, shaking etc.) would we still be convinced of this revival’s legitimacy?

The truth of the matter is that in the evangelical world, we have imposed linear thought on this very subject. We have regurgitated the un-theological idea that God would rather reveal his presence and power through gold teeth than though his bride.

Because our movements are so entrenched within moments of time like the great awakenings, Azusa street, Brownsville, the Toronto Blessing and now Lakeland we have this need to recreated or regurgitate these moments into every local church. Many pastors and leaders spend most of their career and time trying to attain a linear idea of revival through conventional and conform eristic methodologies. We spend so much time concentrating on getting the Spirit to “fall” that we have forgotten that he resides within us and is just waiting to be unleashed trough His church. In our pursuit to recapture and recreate these moments I fear that perhaps we have stopped teaching the essentials of Christendom and have leaned too far on the side of our denominational and stylistic distinctives.

I believe with all of my heart that there are revivals going on in every denomination of our faith where passion for God and for his created people is at the forefront and at the core of everything they do. It is a fallacy to think that God only wants to unleash the power of his Spirit though moments that are so blatantly produced by human beings.

Wherever God is reviving a person, a church or an institution to His truth, mission and love these are the places where God is truly at work. May we cast off our the linear thoughts and preconceived notions we have about how God works. The truth of the matter is that He is God and can work however he pleases and chooses. Because we may not understand or accept it, does not take away from the fact that he is creator of the universe. Believe it or not, but He does not fit into our theological, linear or preconceived boxes. May we open up our minds to what God wants to do in our lives and in our world. Amen.

I can't believe i am doing this!!

For months now a good friend of mine has been telling me I should join the blog world. Every time he would mention it, I felt as though I was a teenager again getting pressured to join the ICQ community. You know what I am talking about, that horrible chat service that allowed unsuspecting teen guys talk to "teen girls" across the globe. Everyone said “it will be fun," " you get to meet all kinds of people." It is all fun and games until you meet a 45 year old man named Pedro posing as a 15 year old girl named Bambi (hindsight is 20/20 they say!)

Needless to say, when it came to the idea of blogging, there was a bit of apprehension on my part... you know, dealing with Pedro and all. However, as i have been reading my friend Ben's blog and exploring this whole new world from a distance, i am convinced that perhaps some good can come out of open dialogue with each other. Commenting and discussing different ideas, viewpoints I believe, has the potential to change the world. This is why I have decided to take the plunge into the universe of blogging...To go where most men/women have been or are going and talk about what we have seen.

In short, this blog is dedicated to one of the most prolific up and coming thinkers of our time. Ben Wright...thanks.