The Conclusion Of The Matter

Ecclesiastes has been my favorite book of the Bible for a very long time; it is surreal to look back now and recognize how I've lived it. I have tested, tried, and even indulged in many things and approaches over the course of my walk with God, and I feel like I'm coming full circle.

From the Israelites in Canaan to the New Testament church, God's plan has always been for His people to be a community that actually gets love right so the rest of the world can see and join. We are not called to be a recruitment-centric, behavior-policing army; we are called to just be like Him. He couldn't have made this clearer (Matthew 22:34-40)!  Asking, "Who is my neighbor?" or saying, "I will love them if/but they ___" means I've already failed. Cities on hills and lamps on stands don't chase or harass people, they just are. People can see them and choose them as better than where they currently are or what they currently have. This is God's plan for the church, and we have failed. Today's "Christians" either straight-up pair politics with their religion or hide behind "no politics" as a way to do nothing. Both are wrong.

From Genesis to Revelation the vast majority of Scripture is God using one or a few of His people to try to get through to the rest (see the breakdown here). Most of the time they don't listen. Not much has changed and apparently never will (Matthew 7:21-23).

So in conclusion, turns out it's actually pretty simple:

• Whatever the problem, some will choose to be part of the solution, many will not (Proverbs 12:1).
• When the rubber meets the road, very few will truly choose humility and love (Matthew 7:13-14).
• The only way I can ever be part of a group where I agree with everything is if I'm part of a group where everyone thinks like me. This will almost never happen; if it does it will be brief; and, it really is not best. Participating in groups where people think differently from me is needed, healthy, and how I get to practice being like Him (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
• This is who we are and will always be until the end, and I am not here to fix the world but to be a little light in the darkness, loving my neighbors and my enemies, pointing to the only real solution, which is offered to all (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 5:14-16; Matthew 5:43-48; 1 Timothy 2:3-4).
• What people do with this is God's purview, not mine (1 Corinthians 15:37-38).
• I have failed hard and often to be like Jesus, but I can never give up and never stop growing (Romans 12:21; Philippians 3:12; 2 Peter 1:8-11).

Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14), but we humans will never be full of either. And while I fully embrace the need for and value of truth, I find myself agreeing more and more with this movie clip when it comes to us being certain we always know what the truth is. I am beginning to see why all of us so desperately need all the grace and mercy we can get (Luke 23:34), and all I want at this point is to be an instrument of this, leaving truth to God and only ever striving to be an instrument of truth as He sees fit (2 Timothy 2:15)!

Lord, I can be such a mess,
but I am a dearly loved mess!
Thank you for...well...being perfect!
Thank you for loving me, no matter what.
Please help me to want what you want;
please help me to be a light.

My Take On Us

Introduction

It seems to me that we can all be divided into two overarching groups and we each live out of one of two overarching, and competing, value systems. And I believe everything that happens -- everything -- can be understood and explained if we understand this perspective.

The Two Groups: Smart and Dumb

It's important to note that "smart" and "dumb" can (and should) be broken down into subcategories:

Knowledgeable: The lowest form of smart. This is simply knowing facts, like the fact that 1+1=2.

Intelligent: The ability to figure things out using knowledge and intuition.

Wise: The ability to put it all together and make the best choices possible in each situation. The highest form of smart.

Ignorant: Not an insult, it is simply (and literally) the lack of knowledge. We are all ignorant of so many things because no one knows everything. Easily "cured" by knowledge, the least harmful form of dumb.

Dumb: The inability to process concepts, ideas, and truth on a higher (or deeper) level.

Stupid: Willful ignorance (Proverbs 12:1). This is the worst, most harmful, and even dangerous form of dumb.

The Two Value Systems: Self- and Community-Centered

Self-centered: At the end of the day, you are what matters most (or only). You tell yourself that others (e.g., family) matter, but it's pretty obvious to everyone else that you are the center of your universe. At pretty much any cost.

Community-centered: While not necessarily -- and definitely not always -- putting self last, you understand the value and power of truly working together and usually choose accordingly.

Breaking It Down

So at the most basic level, everyone falls somewhere within this chart:

Broken down further:

*It is not wise to be self-centered.

And for easy reference:

Some Ways This Plays Out

• People in quadrant 1 rarely seek power; people in quadrants 2 and 4 often do.
• It ranges from extremely difficult to impossible to help people in quadrants 3 and 4 see that they are (a la Dunning-Kruger and the like).
• People in quadrants 3 and (especially) 4 are easy for people in quadrant 2 to manipulate.
• People in quadrant 1 are likely to choose humility; quadrant 2 and 4 people are not.
• Those who are/could be part of the problem far outnumber those who are/could be part of the solution.

So What Do We Do?

As a lifelong Trekkie, I would LOVE to believe (and did for a very long time) that we have a future ahead where we all finally come together as one; I know now, however, from Scripture, that this is never going to happen (2 Timothy 3: 1-5).   Of course, if we all followed Jesus, all the world's problems would absolutely be solved; but again, this will never happen (Matthew 7:13-14). So, for me, I resolve to walk with God, trusting that He will guide me through His Spirit as I strive to be a light in my own life and trust Him with the rest. It seems to me that this is the best -- and frankly, only truly good -- way to live.