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Someone asked me today if something was "against Jesus' rules". Who and what...well...it's really not important at the moment. What I want write about is something it eventually made me realize. I say eventually because it must have banged around in the back of my brain for most of the day without my even being aware of it, because the moment of realization started a few minutes ago, in the middle of a game called "Rebound" (Think "Breakout"...and for those too young to remember Breakout...um...maybe it's on wikipedia? I dunno.)
Anyway, my response to the question was something to the effect that it's not about "rules". And it's not. Yes, there are rules that govern the universe. Yes, there are absolutes. No arguements from me on that point.
But the point--the message--the reason I walk around with a big neon PROPERTY OF JESUS sign floating over my head is not that he showed up at my front door, presented me with a list of rules and said,
"Well, you already broke these, but I love you anyway. Let's go."
If that's all knowing him was about, I'd say it was pretty morbid and pointless.
Ok, ask. I know you're thinking it. So if it's not about rules, why do you do...[insert behavior here]? And how come you don't.... [insert behavior here] anymore? If it's not about rules, then what's the deal with you and Jesus anyway? Well, the deal is we love each other.
Big revelation, right. Duh, Dar. You didn't KNOW you loved him after seven years of walking around acting like He's the be-all and end-all of the universe? (Oh, wait...)
Well, in a way, it is. Because I started thinking about it in the middle of my game, and it led to a talk between him and me. A pretty welcome one, too, since I'd been feeling that hungry/thirsty/achy/miss you thing you feel when you haven't talked to someone you love in a while. I thought about the "why's" I mentioned, and some "well then's", and the inevitable, "Who-the-heck-am-I-anyway, God?" rolled around.
His response? "Who did I make you to be?"
Various answers to that question came to me. "Well, you made me to be a friend...a writer...a 'gater...an artist...a listener...a storehouse of useless information so people can call me when they need to know things like, 'What was Cindy Brady's favorite doll'? or 'When is Daniel's birthday'? Anything I can do or be that makes things a little better, or a little more fun...or whatever...because that's what you'd do...that's what makes you happy. And, at the center of it all, you made me to love you. OH!!!!... *gasp* At the center of it all, you made me to love you. I *get it*!"
So, that's my big revelation for the evening. Yay!
Hmm...well, now it occurrs to me that I'll probably get at least one more "rules" question. So, let me see if I can explain it another way. People like lists. Lists are cut and dry. Lists are easy. Right? It's a lot faster to read a list than to read one of my nutty 4 AM Jesus rambles, isn't it?
What I can do (according to the message of the Gospel) : Anything I want.
What I don't do (based on my understanding of myself, the universe, and how I relate to it) : Anything that eats up so much time, energy, wits, or emotional effort that I end up forgetting that at the center of it all, he made me to love him.
*hears questions starting*
So, can I do... [insert behavior]?
So, can I watch.... [insert movie/show]?
So, is it ok to read.... [insert book]?
Answer: Yes. *points to Cross* Any other answer makes that thing meaningless.
Next questions:
Then why did so-and-so tell me otherwise? And why do you Jesus people argue so much about these questions?
Answer: I don't know. We're human, that's all I can say. What I do know is, I'm not the morality police. I'm your friend/sister/daughter/grandchild/aunt/ whatever. I don't care what you watch, read, eat, smoke, drink, or how many times you can say the f-word in the same sentence. Nothing can make me love you any more or less. Really.
Anyway, my response to the question was something to the effect that it's not about "rules". And it's not. Yes, there are rules that govern the universe. Yes, there are absolutes. No arguements from me on that point.
But the point--the message--the reason I walk around with a big neon PROPERTY OF JESUS sign floating over my head is not that he showed up at my front door, presented me with a list of rules and said,
"Well, you already broke these, but I love you anyway. Let's go."
If that's all knowing him was about, I'd say it was pretty morbid and pointless.
Ok, ask. I know you're thinking it. So if it's not about rules, why do you do...[insert behavior here]? And how come you don't.... [insert behavior here] anymore? If it's not about rules, then what's the deal with you and Jesus anyway? Well, the deal is we love each other.
Big revelation, right. Duh, Dar. You didn't KNOW you loved him after seven years of walking around acting like He's the be-all and end-all of the universe? (Oh, wait...)
Well, in a way, it is. Because I started thinking about it in the middle of my game, and it led to a talk between him and me. A pretty welcome one, too, since I'd been feeling that hungry/thirsty/achy/miss you thing you feel when you haven't talked to someone you love in a while. I thought about the "why's" I mentioned, and some "well then's", and the inevitable, "Who-the-heck-am-I-anyway, God?" rolled around.
His response? "Who did I make you to be?"
Various answers to that question came to me. "Well, you made me to be a friend...a writer...a 'gater...an artist...a listener...a storehouse of useless information so people can call me when they need to know things like, 'What was Cindy Brady's favorite doll'? or 'When is Daniel's birthday'? Anything I can do or be that makes things a little better, or a little more fun...or whatever...because that's what you'd do...that's what makes you happy. And, at the center of it all, you made me to love you. OH!!!!... *gasp* At the center of it all, you made me to love you. I *get it*!"
So, that's my big revelation for the evening. Yay!
Hmm...well, now it occurrs to me that I'll probably get at least one more "rules" question. So, let me see if I can explain it another way. People like lists. Lists are cut and dry. Lists are easy. Right? It's a lot faster to read a list than to read one of my nutty 4 AM Jesus rambles, isn't it?
What I can do (according to the message of the Gospel) : Anything I want.
What I don't do (based on my understanding of myself, the universe, and how I relate to it) : Anything that eats up so much time, energy, wits, or emotional effort that I end up forgetting that at the center of it all, he made me to love him.
*hears questions starting*
So, can I do... [insert behavior]?
So, can I watch.... [insert movie/show]?
So, is it ok to read.... [insert book]?
Answer: Yes. *points to Cross* Any other answer makes that thing meaningless.
Next questions:
Then why did so-and-so tell me otherwise? And why do you Jesus people argue so much about these questions?
Answer: I don't know. We're human, that's all I can say. What I do know is, I'm not the morality police. I'm your friend/sister/daughter/grandchild/aunt/ whatever. I don't care what you watch, read, eat, smoke, drink, or how many times you can say the f-word in the same sentence. Nothing can make me love you any more or less. Really.
