An Offensive Faith

My faith may be a little offensive.  I believe that God became man in Jesus Christ, died a gruesome death, and rose from the grave.  I believe he did this willingly and some may find that offensive. 

I believe Jesus came to open the Kingdom of God to people who do not deserve it.  I believe prostitutes, adulterers, thieves, murderers, and others are called and invited by God and his Son Jesus to enter into his Kingdom.  I believe that the "the basically bad people" beat out the "basically good people" to the Kingdom.  This offends some people.

I believe that Just War is an oxymoron, and weapons of violence are never sufficient for dealing with the evils of the world.  I believe the most prepared are not necessarily the best nations.  I see evil and wrong on both sides of the battle line.  I believe God wants us to lay down all weapons for all times no matter how good of a rational argument you can make for owning one.  God wants us to turn our weapons into gardening tools so we can plant new life, not violence and death.  This can be offensive.

I believe that rulers are fallen and prone to corruption like all people.  I believe that my leader is King and I belong not to this nation or that nation, but to his nation.  I believe there are other people of other nationalities, languages, and governmental associations, legal and illegal who are also parts of this same Kingdom.  I believe that I and others are more than citizens, but children, and we are therefore brother and sister.  I find it hard to hate my brother and sister simply because a political leader says they are a national enemy.  I believe my leader is perfect, and the only true one.  This will certainly offend some.

I believe that our global economy is one based on greed.  I believe we market wealth off the enslaved backs of the world's poor.  We demonize and dehumanize the poor calling them wicked or lazy.  We live in a world where "success" is actually failure.  I believe we enslave millions of people today by disgusting unlivable wages to get what we want.  This will offend many.

I believe we do not know what love is.  I believe love is choosing to lay down your life for others, to be patient and kind.  I believe love has no reason besides love itself.  I believe love is for the good and the bad, the just and unjust, the deserving and undeserving.  I believe we have exchanged love for desire and it has made us less than human.  I believe we vilify those with certain sexual orientation to hide our own failure to understand and love each other the way God invites us to love and be loved.  I believe love is death on a cross.  I believe God is love.  This offends most.

I believe we throw in a dollar to help charities not because we care, but to assuage our moral guilt.  We can buy shoes, food, clothes, and concert tickets to raise money to send to the struggling, so long as we benefit.  This hardly changes anything.  Very few will give time, heart, home, at their own cost.  We too often practice false religion by bank rolling financial issues which create greater problems instead of practicing true religion and caring for people.  This should offend us all.

I believe God is working to bring the hurt and struggling into his Kingdom.  I believe God is leading the drunk to worship him, and the poor to trust in him.  I believe God is inviting the hurt to find healing, and broken communities to come together.  I believe God has planted a small seed which is growing in neighborhoods and homes of those who are part of God's Kingdom.  I believe God is turning away from leaders, the influential, professional, programs, and the initiated and putting his will in the hands of the humble.  I believe God's work cannot be stopped and that food will become plenty, health will become inevitable, life will flourish, and peace will rule.  I believe all this will come from God and his Spirit and through him alone.  This is offensive.