A Curious Girl: Radical lifestyle?

Just some thoughts I've been having recently.

I find it totally awesome that God could have the love to create humanity with the power to destroy all the work he put into the world - that he essentially trusts us enough to leave creation in our hands. Not only that, we have the ultimate choice as to whether to follow him or not. The Bible is full of words about how much God loves us and how much he despairs of some of our behaviour. But instead of smiting us right out, he's patient - like a good parent, he allows his children to choose where to go and what to do. Instead of dominating us, he submitted to us - to the point of death. Being the creator, he can do whatever he likes - kill off all the bad people if he wants. But he doesn't, out of mercy - they still have a chance to change in his eyes. It's up to them to make the most of their life.

Writing last entry, it suddenly occurred to me that it's actually very easy to appear holy, and very hard to be holy. I mean... I overheard some gossip about someone at work, and realised if I knew just that gossip about that person, I wouldn't think very much of him. But I had spoken to him, and heard him chatting to people, and I figured he was a really nice person. And I thought, I'd think much more highly of someone who leads a pretty 'irreligious' life but is kind to people and caring, than I would think of someone who appears to be very pious but thinks mainly of himself. But if I just saw the surface facts, I might think differently. It's the same with Christians - I know that someone who goes to church regularly, knows the Bible well, gives up stuff for Lent, and even talks enthusiastically of God will look like a devoted Christian, but without the dedication of going and doing what God calls them to do, it's really all outward show. So I'm trying to shed the part of my life that 'looks holy' for a life that really is holy. I heard a radio programme on Colossians 2:16-23 that explained how life in Christ is not following people's rules - it's about freeing us to live by Christ's commandments which are directly concerned with love for God and other people.

This links in with Sunday's service! (which happened after I thought of this...) Dave, our minister, talked about Mark 1:29-45 (Jesus continuing to preach in other places after he'd been to Capurnaum, and Jesus healing the leper) - he split the talk into following what God wants, not just going for the easy victories, and into 'touching the untouchables'. He was saying that we should be not shut ourselves away from people, but go out and spread compassion, even to people society views as 'unclean'. Because instead of shutting ourselves away from influences, we should be out there being influential - like salt, a purifying agent! And I thought, it's so easy to make a club like Invasion and consider our job done for about 40 minutes every Wednesday - but the real task is to act like God's children every moment of every day - and to do the things that are holy - show compassion for everyone - instead of the things that seem holy - like avoiding 'bad types'. Because it's not about brownie points in Heaven (brownie points... um... merit points, I guess :) ). It's about the people God cares about who don't know it yet. It's about compassion for others, all the time - not allowing any of our own selfishness, pettiness, prejudice or fear get in the way. I want to do my best to be radically loving. I think it's really the only proper way to live.

(When I say stuff like this, I feel like a little 'potential hypocrite' timer starts ticking somewhere. I am not perfect! But I want to live by this - it's so incredibly important. And if I slip up... well, it might be nice if someone politely reminds me :) )

(PS. the title of this entry is from the talk Kirsty gave on the Monday of the first session of the Noise I went on :) )

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