I have been reading Philip Jenkins excellent book about Christianity in the Global South and have had some thoughts.
Matthew 12:1-8 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." He answered, "Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
Christ is on the move in the world. As always the poor, the dispossesed, the hungry, those whose need of Him is palpable flock close as He passes by. The world is His Israel and He moves through it now as He moved 2,000 years ago calling all who would listen to Him; beckoning all who had eyes to see to come along side of Him.
Meanwhile western Christianity risks standing on the fringes looking on in disdain and arrogance mocking Christ and His new followers. After all we are the ones to whom God has entrusted ageless tradition. We are the ones to whom God has entrusted His Spirit.
Despite our elevated condition we would be wise to ask ourselves if we have become the new Pharisees who have built a great hedge of law around our God honoring ourselves for our faithfulness. Are we in danger of pasteurizing and filtering God to a blandness that suits our palate?
Matthew 23:13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Let us not be the ones barring the way. Let us rather stand in the gap and welcome all who Christ calls into His kingdom.
Harnessing Chaos 