I'm watching the film Elizabeth as part of the Film School at church, which reminded me that I have a biography about Queen Elizabeth that I decided to go ahead and dive into. So as I'm watching and reading the story of how this woman ascended to the throne in England in 1558, I am struck by the violence of the times. But what is most striking is the people who are involved in doing the violent deeds. It's people who all go to church (or mass) on Sunday and then burn people at the stake by mid-week for believing something different about God (or the church) than they do. People who all are identified as card-carrying members of "the church."
Even though this is not the first time I've heard this story or others like it, I am unsettled all the same. How could people descended from "the Way", that radical group of Christ-followers who "were united and had everything in common" [Acts 2:44], get to the point where burning people at the stake was part of the church calendar for the coming week?
It un-nerves me. I am incensed by the injustice of these crimes. And yet, I wonder where I end up interpreting the story of God in ways that are more about my own agendas than about the real heart of God. (Which reminds me that when I start thinking I have it all figured out or that other people just don't "get it", I am lighting the match for another bonfire. Lord, have mercy.)
I want to know God...the one true God...the God who loves without condition or restraint. The God who loves us so much He would entrust us with the freedom to choose to love Him back or to harden our hearts to the point of unspeakable crimes against each other and Himself. This kind of freedom seems dangerous to me, but evidently it is the only soil from which true love can emerge.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Year of Love
The turning of the calendar to a new year was a joyful experience for me this year. I don't remember being so giddy about the end of a year for quite awhile, but when we bid 2009 goodbye, I found myself dancing a little jig in my friends' kitchen as we prepared our new year's eve fondue feast.
For the past three years, I've had a sense that a certain word would be important for the coming year, and each year the "word" has had a formative affect on my soul throughout the year. In my glee to usher 2009 to the door, though, I hadn't spent much time pondering my word for the new year. Last week, unexpectedly, the words of a friend's prayer whispered the "word" for this year - the year of love.
Love is such an overused word, isn't it? I love pizza. I love books. I love vacations at the beach. I love being an aunt. But as this word landed in my heart, I knew it was calling me to a way of life that is less about me and my preferences and more about others. Right after the "word" was spoken last week, I heard a story that has become a picture of what I hope the year of love will bring (literally and metaphorically :)
Some good friends of mine took the plunge and got engaged over the Christmas holiday. But this wasn't just your ordinary engagement with a fancy dinner and roses on the table. No, evidently Mr. Engaged has watched his fair share of Mission Impossible and decided he'd try his hand at the whole mission gig. So while I'm still waiting to hear the "official" version of the story, word on the street is that Mr. Engaged sent a DVD to Ms. Engaged's parents (where she was visiting over Christmas) that laid out step one on her mission. She was to pack her bags and take the plane ticket (evidently included with the DVD...hmmm, I wonder where you get these DVD's?) and head to the airport and fly to New York. Evidently Ms. Engaged thought (logically) she'd probably be seeing Prince Charming at the gate when she arrived. Wrong. Secret Agent A appeared with yet another plane ticket and sent her on the next leg of her mission to Prague (yes, as in Czech Republic). Arriving in Prague, Prince Charming still nowhere to be found, she was greeted by Secret Agent B who guided her safely to her place of lodging. I'm not exactly sure how many secret agents were part of the mission, but the last stop was, happily, Prince Charming who proceeded to ask for her hand in marriage. Mission accomplished.
I don't know about you, but stories like that captivate me. And as I was reflecting on the real-life fairy tale later that day, I found myself in a well of deep longing. So many things I would love to have and receive that seem distant and unlikely. And then I heard a whisper. The love and desire reflected in my friends' mission was not only close and available, the Lover of my Soul was inviting me to step into the adventure of responding to His relentless pursuit. Just like in my friends' story, my hopes for what will happen may often be met with something very different than I imagined, but at every turn, He is inviting me to receive the gift of love He has custom-crafted for my heart so that I can turn around and pour out love to those I encounter along the path.
So as it turns out I'm heading into 2010 on a mission. A mission to grow in my capacity to love...to pay attention to the presence of "secret agents" that appear on the scene with clues and guidance about the journey...to live in wonder and gratitude for this great adventure of love.
For the past three years, I've had a sense that a certain word would be important for the coming year, and each year the "word" has had a formative affect on my soul throughout the year. In my glee to usher 2009 to the door, though, I hadn't spent much time pondering my word for the new year. Last week, unexpectedly, the words of a friend's prayer whispered the "word" for this year - the year of love.
Love is such an overused word, isn't it? I love pizza. I love books. I love vacations at the beach. I love being an aunt. But as this word landed in my heart, I knew it was calling me to a way of life that is less about me and my preferences and more about others. Right after the "word" was spoken last week, I heard a story that has become a picture of what I hope the year of love will bring (literally and metaphorically :)
Some good friends of mine took the plunge and got engaged over the Christmas holiday. But this wasn't just your ordinary engagement with a fancy dinner and roses on the table. No, evidently Mr. Engaged has watched his fair share of Mission Impossible and decided he'd try his hand at the whole mission gig. So while I'm still waiting to hear the "official" version of the story, word on the street is that Mr. Engaged sent a DVD to Ms. Engaged's parents (where she was visiting over Christmas) that laid out step one on her mission. She was to pack her bags and take the plane ticket (evidently included with the DVD...hmmm, I wonder where you get these DVD's?) and head to the airport and fly to New York. Evidently Ms. Engaged thought (logically) she'd probably be seeing Prince Charming at the gate when she arrived. Wrong. Secret Agent A appeared with yet another plane ticket and sent her on the next leg of her mission to Prague (yes, as in Czech Republic). Arriving in Prague, Prince Charming still nowhere to be found, she was greeted by Secret Agent B who guided her safely to her place of lodging. I'm not exactly sure how many secret agents were part of the mission, but the last stop was, happily, Prince Charming who proceeded to ask for her hand in marriage. Mission accomplished.
I don't know about you, but stories like that captivate me. And as I was reflecting on the real-life fairy tale later that day, I found myself in a well of deep longing. So many things I would love to have and receive that seem distant and unlikely. And then I heard a whisper. The love and desire reflected in my friends' mission was not only close and available, the Lover of my Soul was inviting me to step into the adventure of responding to His relentless pursuit. Just like in my friends' story, my hopes for what will happen may often be met with something very different than I imagined, but at every turn, He is inviting me to receive the gift of love He has custom-crafted for my heart so that I can turn around and pour out love to those I encounter along the path.
So as it turns out I'm heading into 2010 on a mission. A mission to grow in my capacity to love...to pay attention to the presence of "secret agents" that appear on the scene with clues and guidance about the journey...to live in wonder and gratitude for this great adventure of love.
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