Resurrection Letter No. 19: When you think of God, think of Jesus and nothing else

Dear Good Shepherd and friends,

What comes to your mind when you think of God? Go ahead, ponder it for a second. I'll wait...

Ok. Since we can't really talk, I'll guess at what might have come into some of your minds. Maybe some of you might have initially thought, "Hmmm. I don't really think about God much. I have no idea what I think." 

Maybe some of you didn't think about God first, but you thought about your church experience. You might have thought of Sunday school images of an old white man, not really grandfather-like, but more like some version of a strong, powerful-looking man in about his 60s with whiteish hair and a long flowing beard. 

Or maybe you thought of church but did not have a physical picture that came to mind, but rather ideas. Maybe your church experience put in your minds ideas of a loving God. Or maybe your church experience talked about a loving God, but in reality made God seem like some strict rule-keeping parent who won't just let you live your life. He's always there to catch you when you screw up. 

Or maybe you imagine God as someone that you hide from to have fun. Psychologically, maybe your ideas of God basically are mirror of the way many people relate to a priest or pastor: someone you can't really connect to or relate to, who you feel like you have to "clean up" your language and behavior around.

How we think about God makes a huge difference. For many people it's the thing that keeps them from church: what they've learned about God just isn't interesting or helpful. Theologian A.W. Tozer said once, "What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." How we think about God, whether we think God is real or not, whether we think God cares about us or not, how we imagine God to be has significant ripple effects in our lives, our outlook on life, our attitudes, how we respond to what goes on around us. Whether we know it or not.

For some people there is a lot of anger and frustration because the idea of God they were taught didn't work out. Others might live life in constant fog and unclarity because they're looking for a God they can't find. Others are content with how they imagine God, and that's fine, too.

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When I asked you what you think about God, here's what I suspect some or even many of you might not
have thought of: Jesus the human.

If you did think of Jesus, that's great. But if you indeed did not think of Jesus, you're pretty normal. Hardly anyone ever does. 

Most people when asked about God think of ideas (all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, judging, etc.) or experiences (positive or negative). Few think of a human.

But for Christianity -- and this is the scandal of Christianity -- if we're going to pay attention to the New Testament at all, the first thing we think of when we think of God must be Jesus. 

The religious establishment during Jesus' time didn't like this. It's one big reason why he was killed. Jesus, in claiming to be God's presence in a human life, made God too vulnerable, too close, too, well...human. A line had been crossed. The religious establishment of Jesus' time seemed to keep God at a distance. The God that was communicated didn't seem to care much about the people who didn't have it all together, who didn't follow the "religious rules" very well, who were on the "inside." Maybe this is why so many people still today claim they are "spiritual but not religious." 

I get it. Completely. Jesus got it, too.

If God for you is like the God of the religious establishment of Jesus' time, I invite you to let Jesus redefine God for you. Perhaps this will bring you solace and genuinely be "good news" for your soul. Let me share some thoughts based in the stories of Jesus...

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one takes risks to spend time with the ones who think they're far from God. Jesus let an embarrassed, isolated, and ignored woman capture his attention. All she wanted was someone to help her illness, to notice her. Jesus not only healed her, but he gave here dignity and love that few people had: he called her "daughter." 

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one who is gentle and compassionate. When Jesus was confronted with the opportunity to condemn people caught in wrong, he did not. He took time to reach out to the ones who felt "unworthy" and who did not live perfect lives. And he was not a fan of those who work hard to appear "righteous."  

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one who does not value human power and prestige but who dares to be vulnerable. The people knew Jesus was something special. Some of them wanted him to be king. He refused. Instead of a position of power and authority, his method was to lay low and serve people in small ways.

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one who refused to allow injustice to be the norm. But he did not overpower injustice. Instead, he offered a different way. He lived as a prophet who confronted the world's realities with God's reality.

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one who worked a job, who struggled in a dysfunctional world, who lived in our circumstances, who knows human struggle, who was in solidarity with typical humanity.

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one welcomes the unwelcomed and had parties with them. Jesus scheduled a dinner party with Zacchaeus and all his friends; he was at a house party with Matthew and the other riff-raff of the town. He liked people. He liked to enjoy life with his friends, and he invited everyone to be among his friends.

When I think of God by thinking of Jesus, I think of the one who does not welcome the good and perfect, but who welcomes the hurting and wounded into his perfect goodness.

The story of Jesus, if we dare to take it seriously, tells us that God is not far off; God is not what so many people mislead you to think about God; God is not against you. God is for you and invites you to share in his goodness, to experience his forgiveness, to know that every second is new with possibility and hope, because surely God is with us.

I close with lyrics from a song by Rich Mullins called, "Surely God is with Us":

Well, who's that man who thinks He's a prophet?
Well, I wonder if He's got something up His sleeve
Where's He from? Who is His daddy?
There's rumors He even thinks Himself a king
Of a kingdom of paupers
Simpletons and rogues
The whores all seem to love Him
And the drunks propose a toast
And they say, "Surely God is with us.
Well, surely God is with us."
They say, "Surely God is with us today!"

Who's that man who says He's a preacher?
Well, He must be, He's disturbing all our peace
Where's He get off, and what is He hiding
And every word He says those fools believe
Who could move a mountain
Who would love their enemy
Who could rejoice in pain
And turn the other cheek

And still say, "Surely God is with us, Well, surely God is with us, "
Who'll say, "Surely God is with us today, today!"
They say, "Surely God is with us Well, surely God is with us"
They say, "Surely God is with us"

Blessed are the poor in spirit, heaven belongs to them
Blessed are those who make peace, they are God's children 
"I Am the Bread of Life, and the Way"
You hear that Man, believe what He says!

Tell me, who's that Man, they made Him a prisoner
They tortured Him and nailed Him to a tree
Well if He's so bad, who did He threaten?
Did He deserve to die between two thieves?
See the scars and touch His wounds
He's risen flesh and bone
Now the sinners have become the saints
And the lost have all come home

And they say, "Surely God is with us."

In defiant hope,

Pastor Kyle