Day 113: Reality

"So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound - think of it - for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  Luke 13:16

This statement sums up a series of ideas that Jesus had been teaching.

Basically, whenever we come up to God, the truth will be revealed.  The truth will be revealed, and the fact of whether we were supporting the truth will also become very clear.  Jesus has shown us that the way others live their lives should be completely irrelevant to us.  This argument reaches its height when the Pharisees tell Jesus that there are six other days where one could be healed.  But Jesus shows that it doesn't matter how God will take care of these situations, for they will be taken care of perfectly.

Think of it, Jesus commands.  Think of it, does it matter that somebody around you is praising God in a certain way that's different than the way you are?  Does it really matter whether somebody speaks in a different language and praises in yet another one?  Does it really matter that somebody else who is a different color is receiving the same grace that you are?  None of these should.

Instead, think about your own life.  How strong is your faith?  How can you strengthen it?  Do you need to be healed?  Do you need God's grace?  Do you have gifts from God?  Do you even know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone in the next hour?

Jesus tells us not to worry about the things that are not in our control, for they are going the way they need to.  They are going to become opportunities for you to walk even closer to God.  In fact, contrary to the plans you might have for your life, the methods that God will use in order to direct your life will be unusual and uncommon.  God has a plan for you, and it's a very unique one.  Learn to follow it, and don't let anything or anyone tempt you away from it. 

Day 106: Following the Lord

"But if it does not please you to serve the Lord, choose gods for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, among whom you dwell in their land.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, because He is holy."  Joshua 24:15

Nobody is being forced into this life.

If we were all forced into a life of faith, there wouldn't be a concept of faith at all.  It would merely be duty, or slavery.  We are not forced into slavery.  In fact, we are the opposite.  We are free to choose where we want to be, and as Christians, we choose freedom.  We are free to choose the Lord who forgives our sins, who shows us mercy every day, who teaches us how to live with other human beings, who loves us unconditionally.

Sure, the riches and successes of all the other gods out there might seem appealing.  In fact, we are subject to that temptation every day.  We could just wander off to serve money, so that way everybody will know us just for our material worth.  Imagine what kind of life that would be: slavery to the dollar and subjugation to every single pain that we might inflict on ourselves just to get there.  When it comes to the end of our lives of following money, what will we have left?  A comfortable bed?  A fancy suit?  What will we be able to take into the afterlife? Absolutely nothing.  We will leave the world in shambles, and our lives would be a reflection of that world.

Instead, we choose to follow Jesus, who is leading us to eternal life.  We are receiving grace every day so that we can make it to the next day.  We are building up communities all around us, making sure that others can have the same joy we feel on our journey, for we are not selfish.  Jesus has taught us to follow so that we can make the world a better place: a perfect dwelling to present before God.

Let's remember why we are following when the temptations arise, for that's when we will remind ourselves that we will serve the Lord, for the Lord is holy.

God Is Unfailing

"But you are always the same, and your years will never end."
(Psalm 102:27)
Today's readings concern the times of trials.  Jesus reassures us of God's mercy and grace with the beatitudes.  Paul stands up against the authorities and speaks out to the Jews with a sermon that is nothing more than a summary of his life: a living testimony.  People escorted Paul around like a wild cow: always wandering but never belonging.  However, Paul preached without wavering.  I believe that that is how we should be as well.  We must live our lives in Christ at all times, regardless of what is going on around us.  Jesus always teaches us to give our lives to God, for God will use us how we need to be used.  Our will becomes God's.  So in the face of a test, remember that God is there with us (1 Corinthians 10:13).  When your LGBT family asks why God, simply remind them that you are of the same family, and live your life as a testimony to the goodness of God!

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is a lengthy word that bears a bit of weight.  It is a coming back.  It is a return to a better time when people agreed with each other.  It is a gift to us by means of God's grace.  How does this work?
God is always present in our lives, whether we like it or not.  God is there looking over our shoulders as we browse a mobile "dating" app.  God is there sitting at the chair in a motel, waiting patiently for you to come back.  God is right outside the door of our proverbial closet, ready to show us God's love and God's goodness: the promise.  Indeed, God is ready to accept us as God's own creation without masks made by our own failing hands.  Jesus explains the essence of this reconciliation by grace in the gospel today: "the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you [the Jews]."  Jesus says that the epitomes of the two worst people in society—traitors on the one hand and the most sexually immoral, damning images of Israel on the other—would enter the kingdom of heaven.  Now, that is true reconciliation.  We could go even further with the story of Paul, but we don't have to.  God is there to pick us back up when we fall and to bring us close to God when we stray away.

They Will Know We Are Christians

Today's gospel reading applies very well to our community today.  Recently, I have read an article talking about how it was difficult for one gay Christian to find communities of gay Christians all over the United States.  Mikah Meyer said that, "when I interacted with local LGBT communities, they often mocked me for being Christian."  A fellow member of the LGBT family was condemned among his own distant relatives (figuratively speaking) was rejected for being Christian.  In the same way, Jesus was also not accepted in His own hometown.  He says, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown." (Luke 4:24)  It was then that He was driven out of the city by a crowd so large that they did not even notice when He had fled from them.
So, what is there to do?  Sure, we can gather in secluded communities and praise God.  However, that is contrary to Jesus's command to go out and preach the Gospel, the Good News of God's Kingdom and love for all of us.  What we can do is to live our lives in a Christian way.  Show love to all of your friends, enemies, and strangers.  Be a good host.  Live kindly.  Share with the less fortunate.  In this way, we can find our own divine joy, and, as a result, we can be radiate the grace of God.  Then, when the "why are you always happy?" or "why are you always so lucky?" or "why are you so positive?" questions come, explain the goodness of Jesus Christ living in each of our lives.

Here is Mikah Meyer's article:
http://www.believeoutloud.com/latest/journey-find-lgbt-christians

when I interacted with local LGBT communities, they often mocked me for being Christian. - See more at: http://www.believeoutloud.com/latest/journey-find-lgbt-christians#sthash.ofc650AB.dpuf

when I interacted with local LGBT communities, they often mocked me for being Christian. - See more at: http://www.believeoutloud.com/latest/journey-find-lgbt-christians#sthash.ofc650AB.dpuf

when I interacted with local LGBT communities, they often mocked me for being Christian. - See more at: http://www.believeoutloud.com/latest/journey-find-lgbt-christians#sthash.ofc650AB.dpuf

God's Calling

Today's readings are about God's calling to each of us.  We commemorate when Jesus called Matthew to join Him in His ministry today.  Jesus called the traitor, a Jew working for the enemy Roman state, and told him to follow Him.  That may seem like a very odd thing for the King of the Jews to do.  However, the lesson is that Matthew followed Jesus.  He left his old ways and ministered.  Jesus also calls each one of us.  He comes to the gay bars and asks us to follow Him.  He waits for us during our one night stands.  He wakes us up in the morning after a hard night of drinking.  Are we ready to give up our old ways to follow him?
Paul also writes that God's calling is to each one of us, for there are no divisions in this church of God.  In the same way, there are no divisions among us, the assembled members of God's church.  We all have heads, we have brains, we have blood, we have hearts.  We all have souls, and we all have emotions.  There is no bear or twink; no butch or femme; no cis or trans; no male or female.  There are just sheep waiting for a shepherd.
Accompanying these, we hear one of my favorite series of parables, the ones where people find great treasures and give their lives to keep them.  What do we do all day? We look for things to sustain us.  We work to have money; we plan so we can enjoy our time; we read so we can know.  What would we do if we found the one thing that sustains us today, tomorrow, and after death?  Surely we would rejoice over that discovery.  And that is what we have.  We must celebrate that Jesus sustains us throughout our lives on earth and past our deaths into His eternal kingdom.  We must go out and share that we are all saved!
God calls us to be unified in God, and we must be ready to push the answer button and listen to the voice of God telling us what we must do in our lives.

God's Grace

So, today's readings are all about God's grace.  The parable for today can seem difficult to understand, for it exhibits what seems to be inequality among the workers.  However, as Jesus says, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?" (Matthew 20:15, NKJV)  This passage reminds me of another parable, where a servant is forgiven of all of his debts, but then that same servant goes out to demand the debts of his workers.  After remembering that, I remember what I did yesterday.
I had decided to wear a new shirt that my mom had gotten me two weeks ago.  The thing about the shirt is that it was a tank top, a shirt style I had never worn before (gasp! I know).  Moreover, it had the word "proud" written in rainbow letters on the front. So, when I was walking about, I felt a little bare and nervous, but that did not stop me entirely from going about my normal day.  When I walked to the pizza joint just outside of my house, I hesitated to walk any farther, for a man was walking in before me: baggy, long sleeved shirt reading "Born Fly" on the back, pants sagging lower than the knees, basketball shorts breathing in the wind, and tattoos on either cheekbone and forehead.  He placed his order.  I placed mine.  He got his food and took a seat.  I got my food to go.  There was no interaction between the two of us, and there was no harm done.  No harm.
I judged.  I projected my own prejudices towards that man.  I accused him of planning and conspiring things against me and all of my fabulous family that had never crossed his mind.  In fact, it crossed my mind before his.  Who am I to determine what he is going to do? Who am I to judge him for his outward appearance? Who am I to take out my own fears and angers on him?
In the same way, who are we to judge who gets God's grace? Who are we to call ourselves saints and everybody else sinners?  God has the last say.  God has the grace and the punishments.  I, like Jonah, must eat my hateful thoughts.  I, like Christ, must prepare myself as a worthy sacrifice to the living God, the God of abounding grace and reluctant punishment.