16 August 2006

Douglas John Hall notes that there is this ability to choose...to decide to follow the way to the cross.

...let it be remembered that Jesus in the Gospels is conscious not only of this "must," which he clearly associates with the will of God, but also of the fact that he himself is left to decide the matter. He is not simply born to suffer; he is born as one whose gift for compassion and justice will probably in the natural course of events lead to great suffering, but he is not presented as one following a script written by Another. Were he such a one, he could in no way be considered (as Paul considers him) the second Adam - the only other human fully free, like the first Adam, actually to choose not to sin (Romans 5). Jesus' decision for the cross, which he makes only with the greatest difficulty precisely because he is perfectly free not to make it, is a voluntary decision on his part, and this same volition belongs, in some real measure, to the community that Jesus calls the body of Christ.

Again, note that Hall directs our attention to this gift for compassion and justice that will - if lived out to its fullest - would lead to great suffering. His role is not to suffer. His role is to live in the way God intends to have God's children live even when the world is a broken mess that wants to stay broken even if it means killing one another to remain separated, divided and broken. Therefore, when Jesus chooses to live with the outcasts he is turned into one himself and...he is thus, treated as one. Hall lets us consider what it must be to be free to choose one's next action and yet to choose to live in such a way that you will take some hits for being out of sync with the rest of the world. Jesus was not a puppet on a string - nor are we! If Jesus did not have to make choices like we must make...then is he really the one to lead us to the promised land? The promised land or the promise of new life or the promise of the great banquet comes alive in every day as we are grasped by God's promises and enter into them no matter how it may differ from the ways of those around us. I'm not simply saying we are called to be different. Rather, we are invited to hear with new ears the announcement of God's Good News that has a way of wrestling with real life and making a go of the love, mercy, justice, peace, and loving kindness that is characteristic of that News. It will be different - but being different is not our goal. We are called to be faithful.

Connection: Today is a good day to fill our decisions with the vision of God's Reign and the promise of the Holy Spirit to lead us to those visions.

We know we are not able to make the best decisions in life and we ask that you, O God, would coach us in your way so that in all things we will consider the life within your Reign as we go about the life that is before us each day. Amen.