Fear of God and Relational Wholeness

"When people are no longer awed, respectful, or fearful of God's holiness, the community is put at risk."  (Walter Brueggemann)

In 2 Samuel 6, we encounter the strange holiness of God.  A holiness that can't be presumed upon, used or manipulated for one's own agenda.  A holiness so powerful that if it is not respected, trouble ensues.  No doubt, David and Israel learn this truth after the death of Uzzah.

I connect this idea with the notion that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:9).  Fearing God creates a foundation for life that leads to a holiness that can be characterized by relational health. Failure to fear God creates a void, a void that leads us down paths of foolishness.

I believe this makes sense.  If God is feared, then communities have a much better chance of being healthy.  The God we serve is the God who commands us to love and serve our neighbors, even if our neighbors are strangers or enemies.

You see, we don't believe in two great commandments that conflict with one another.  We don't believe that we are to love and serve God; and then love and serve our neighbor.  This approach creates problems because we might conclude serving God trumps (no pun intended) serving our neighbor.  Then we will be justified in sacrificing people on some sort of religious principle or agenda.   This is not the Jesus way.

Instead, we believe in a single commandment with two parts that can't separated.  To fear God is to love the other.  To fear God is to pursue mercy.  To fear God is to be fair.  To fear the God who revealed himself in Jesus is to embrace his sacrificial love.  To fear God is to care deeply about the well-being of others.  

As John writes: "This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He commanded us" (1 John 3:23).   Everyone who does not love has missed the mark:  "He who does not love abides in death" (1 John 3:14).   Notice again the tight connection between God and love:  "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7-8).

We can see this at work in our lives.  When we lose our fear of God, we will tend to serve something else.  We might serve money or our own agenda or our image. Then we will sacrifice other people on the alter of our agenda.

However, when we serve God, truly with respect and reverence, we find a different path.  Fear of God frees us to pursue the truth, placing us on a trajectory of personal transformation.  Fear of God gives us the strength to forgive because we understand that our own sins have been forgiven.  With God, we are free to love because the other person doesn't have to be a god for us, therefore we can love without having to control.

So perhaps, this text is a powerful reminder that fear of God must be at the center of our lives.  Without it, we drift.  We move away from what is truly life giving.

Peace.


 

Embracing Uncertanity

Perhaps few things are more dangerous than absolute certainty.  It is tempting to believe that one's opinions are perfect and unassailable.

At best, such a stance keeps us from dialogue.  At worst, it creates enemies of people who think differently.  When this absolute certainty about an opinion is coupled with a belief in God, then one feels righteous in the denigration of the other.  

As Christians, we are called to a humility.  We believe God.  Yet that belief is shrouded in mystery. There is so much we don't know, don't understand.

But this goes to the core of our belief.  We don't hold the universe together.  We don't have to make history turn out right.  This is God's job.  We don't have to defend God, nor do we need to be heard.  We don't have to other people or legislate behavior.  Instead, we can love.  We can embrace hope.  We can walk in faith.

The words of Bono have been echoing in my ears lately:  "I can stand up for hope, faith, love/But while I'm getting over certainty/Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady."  

I'm not entirely sure what these words mean.  Nonetheless, I like them.  They speak to me, reminding me that we can live in hope, faith and love without certainty.  Furthermore, God is in control.  He does not need our help.  We can witness without winning.  

More to come . . .

Peace.

When We Become Our Own Judge

A couple of weeks ago I preached from a very dark passage of scripture, Judges 19-21.  Here are some thoughts that continue to haunt me from that text:  

First, when everyone does what is right in their own eyes the ones who suffer the most are those without power.  The judgement that is repeated near the end of Judges is that everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes.  Then in the last few chapters we see the consequences of this way of life--abuse, neglect and violence, mostly toward women.  The Levite's concubine is raped, then cut into pieces.  Then a town is destroyed and girls are abducted from Shilo to provide virgins for the Benjaminites.  It's those without power who suffer the most when everyone does what is right in their own eyes. 

Second, the lies of the Levite sustain the chaos of the text.  Read it for yourself.  The Levite is less than honest as he recounts what has happened:  He doesn't assume responsibility; after all he is the one who handed his concubine over to be raped.  He claims the leaders of Gibeah are the perpetrators when in reality it was some wicked men.  He also says, they wanted to kill him, which is not true either.  His speech is inflammatory.  It provokes a violent response.  Words matter.  We must take heed.     

Thirdly, Israel is so far gone that even when they try to put things right, they make a mess.  Israel resorts to violence to solve the problem that their own violence has created.  It's as if they can't imagine another way of life.  They use violence to provide wives for the 600 remaining Benjaminite men.  It's a mess.  Even when Israel tries to make things right, they create more chaos.  It's as if they have no other paradigm than that of force, pragmatism and expediency.    

All of this makes me long for Gods kingdom.  This is our hope, the gospel Jesus preached:  "The Kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe the good news" (Mark 1:15).