May 9, 2014
Eagle Thoughts
Dear Coaches, Colleagues and Friends:
Those who dance are considered insane by those who can’t hear the music. — George Carlin
Since its infancy, the body of Christ has debated what it means to be a follower of Jesus. As Christianity poured out of Jerusalem, the
words they used to describe the Gospel came from their Jewish heritage (tribal rules): Jesus became the Passover lamb. Jesus
fulfilled the law. One should be circumcised and the heart tender toward God.
But then the new non-Jewish audience embraced the Gospel. These “Gentiles” knew little of Jewish customs and terminology. Food
laws were foreign, Jewish festivals irrelevant, circumcision not practiced, and the Sabbath was just another day. Wham!!! A clash
between old converts and new converts ensued. Many Jews insisted that Gentiles were not acceptable to God until they acted Jewish
too. Sound familiar??
As a teenager in the late 60’s and early 70’s, I witnessed a similar class of cultures; the hippie Jesus People Movement and the
traditional church. I remember several personal, very real and poignant spiritual experiences while attending Jesus Festivals. My
parents thought I was nuts and were unhappy that I was attending these “unholy” gatherings. “All they do there is play that horrid
rock-n-roll music!!” That Movement may have saved my life and oddly enough, many of the worship songs of the 80’s and 90’s came
out of that movement (once the traditional church loosened up) and are still sung on occasion today! Recently, I came across a similar
story of one church’s experience during those years.
“In the early 70’s, a church in Wisconsin serving 300 hard-working, salt-of-the-earth Midwesterners had an interesting dilemma.
There was a family whose older children didn’t fit into the suit, tie, and Bible-carrying culture of Sunday mornings. So they started a
Bible study at their house and before they knew it, 200 hippies were gathering in their home. Peace signs, bell bottoms, crocheted
halter tops, the whole works. Soon enough, the hippies asked, “When do we get to come to your church?”
And with one question, and for one Sunday, attendance at the church nearly doubled. But it was a major culture clash as the tribal
rules of the church had a head-on collision with those from the outside. The church “won.” The next Sunday only 20 hippies came.
The third Sunday, only one showed up. Just one courageous soul came barefoot in holey jeans, and sat cross-legged on the floor right
in front of the platform, willing to break the isolating tribal rules.
He wouldn’t give in. That young man stayed and attended membership class with those suit-clad members who looked at him a bit
strangely and gave him the cold shoulder. At the end of the class, as part of his membership requirements, he stood to share his story:
“I didn’t know Jesus until two months ago. I’ve got so much to learn and one of the things I’ve learned is that I’m supposed to hang
out with you people… I’ve read the Bible. I’ve got to love you so I’m going to choose to love you even though you have shown no
love to me.” Ouch!!!
Then he asked, “Can I talk with someone about how we can do this better than we’ve been doing it?” An older man stood up and
invited the hippie to lunch. Together they came up with a plan to build relationships between the two cultures. Tribal rules faded.
Divisions erased. Invitations extended. Isolation broken… And several pairs of bare feet graced the doors of the church once again; all
because someone chose to show love where no love had been, all because someone chose to leave behind the tribal rules so the tribe
could grow and be free and love as they all learned to dance in grace together.”
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith… clothed… with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave
nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one...” (Galatians 3:26-28).
So here is all we really need to know:
Rule 1. There is One Gospel: God accepts all who are in Christ.
Rule 2. There is One body: In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile.
Rule 3. There is One rule: In Christ, love others as God loves you.
His love was/is all we need(ed), His love is all those we encounter need!!
Blessings,
Earl
NPM Isaiah 43:18