On the Wrong Side of the Tracks
My brother-in-law Tim loves Jesus as much as anyone that I've ever met. His life is full of grace and ease even though he pastors a church in one of the roughest areas of Atlanta and deals with overwhelming obstacles on a daily basis. He always challenges me to take a deeper look at poverty and racial reconciliation from a Jesus standpoint.
Whenever I'm brave enough to open my eyes to peer in the direction of such injustices, I find Jesus in that place staring back at me. He mourns and suffers along with the oppressed. It discomforts me to see Jesus on the "other side" of the proverbial "tracks". I mean after all, I am a disciple which means that I'm supposed to be with Jesus, right? So, why am I not with Him? Why the chasm between he and I? Why don't I want to follow Him into the place of injustice and suffering and oppression? Why does Jesus cross the tracks, when I refuse to leave my place of comfort?
Many American Christians think discipleship is about bringing Jesus with you wherever you go. But, that's not the call of Jesus! His call is to follow Him wherever He goes. And when I read my Bible I'm finding that Jesus goes into some pitifully painful places.
So, this week He has cleared my vision enough to see that He is staring back at me as I look into the eyes of those from the other side of the tracks. Although it shatters my plans for where I want to take Jesus, maybe I'll cross over and see where Jesus might want to take me.
Postscript:
Shane Claiborne's irresistible read called "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an ordinary radical" has been like oxygen to my soul and has challenged me towards a more centered life of discipleship. My brother-in-law, who is an ordinary radical in his own right, gave me a copy of Shane's book. It's rich and deeply challenging. Those who are honed into a domesticated version of American Christianity might think that Shane is out of his mind. However, those same people probably would have thought that Mother Theresa, Francis of Assisi and Jesus himself were crazy too. Read it if you get a chance.
It's high time that social justice and communal life made it's way back into our concept of discipleship. No doubt that these areas were central to Wesley's concept of discipleship.
Whenever I'm brave enough to open my eyes to peer in the direction of such injustices, I find Jesus in that place staring back at me. He mourns and suffers along with the oppressed. It discomforts me to see Jesus on the "other side" of the proverbial "tracks". I mean after all, I am a disciple which means that I'm supposed to be with Jesus, right? So, why am I not with Him? Why the chasm between he and I? Why don't I want to follow Him into the place of injustice and suffering and oppression? Why does Jesus cross the tracks, when I refuse to leave my place of comfort?
Many American Christians think discipleship is about bringing Jesus with you wherever you go. But, that's not the call of Jesus! His call is to follow Him wherever He goes. And when I read my Bible I'm finding that Jesus goes into some pitifully painful places.
So, this week He has cleared my vision enough to see that He is staring back at me as I look into the eyes of those from the other side of the tracks. Although it shatters my plans for where I want to take Jesus, maybe I'll cross over and see where Jesus might want to take me.
Postscript:
Shane Claiborne's irresistible read called "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an ordinary radical" has been like oxygen to my soul and has challenged me towards a more centered life of discipleship. My brother-in-law, who is an ordinary radical in his own right, gave me a copy of Shane's book. It's rich and deeply challenging. Those who are honed into a domesticated version of American Christianity might think that Shane is out of his mind. However, those same people probably would have thought that Mother Theresa, Francis of Assisi and Jesus himself were crazy too. Read it if you get a chance.
It's high time that social justice and communal life made it's way back into our concept of discipleship. No doubt that these areas were central to Wesley's concept of discipleship.
posted by Heath at
2:02 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home