Dont Let The "Cute" Thing Fool Ya

This is common find on apparel for children and young ladies (even not so young ladies) today. The implication is this: cute implies innocence or goodness, I'm cute, but don't let that fool you, i can also be pretty naughty (or not such a good kid). Well, with kids (we aquired this as a hand-me-down for our 5 year old) I do see the humor (and truth) in this. Everyone always tells you (well, this was the case with us anyway) that your kid is so cute and well behaved. Then you think - yeah, you don't go home with her! Funny, right? But my girl is growing up now and I was struck with the thought of what else this might convey. This can't be the implication intended by the 13, 17, 20, even 30 somethings. No, this isn't a simple statement of, hey my parents bought me this shirt to convey that at home I'm really a holy terror. This is more along the lines of personal reputation. This says, "I know I look cute (innocent), but really I can be quite naughty. When you apply this kind of phrase to a toddler, its funny. When you do the same to some of the ages listed above, well, not so funny really - when you think about it. But that's the problem nowadays I believe. We don't really think about it. We wear what is on the shelves at the clothing stores. We wear what our friends are wearing. -sorry, topic for another time, back on track-


My point (initially) here is this - I have had the opportunity to hear from a young person who is not at all alone in what was shared. This person is a kind and decent person, fairly good student, not a trouble maker, but is alone - feels cast out of circles at school and the like - and all because of this persons reputation for being "good." No one wants to be good anymore. Its cool to be bad, naughty, a little crazy and wild. So the image above shows the desired statement to fit in. It says, "no, I'm am bad, really, please let me fit in." When there's two things wrong with that. Of course, we shouldn't want to be bad, and we shouldn't strive to fit in (conform to this world). And we certainly shouldn't be apologizing for our seemingly innocent appearance or behavior, but rather the opposite.

If Im not alive tomorrow...

War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Say it again.
Edwin Starr

Well... Let us suppose that if it were not for our willingness and our capability to kill and destroy (as an American nation), then we would simply fall victim to the ones who are. Maybe that is not entirely true, but mostly true. In some cases, small people groups may be of no significance to others and so therefore never become a target - but only time can tell, when their time is up, and suddenly they become significant for what ever reason. We are significant, we a target, and I presume that we only stand because we are not a nation to be trifled with.

All this to say that I believe that Christ would not want us to live a kill-or-be-killed life. I believe that Christ intended for us to love and only love, knowing that persecution would be our ultimate destiny (and per Revelation, it is). So how do I tell myself (let alone my American neighbor), comfortable, safe, and free to put away fighting, knowing that it will most likely mean laying down our lives - to fall victim to any one of our countless enemies. How then also do I tell the African villager who has seen so much suffering and has suffered so much himself at the hands of murderous gangs to put away hate, revenge, anger all to just love, knowing that it would laying down his life.

If Christ was asking us to love and not hate, to sow peace and not war, to heal and not kill, then would we? Would we lay down our lives for His sake? Would we forsake comfortable for His sake? Would we forsake taking our own justice for His sake? Could we? Should we?

This is pretty dark topic even for me. And I am in no way saying that I exemplify what I preach. I only mean to speak it, that it may resound further in me, and, perhaps, in you. It is the truth that we know, but do not wish to speak because it requires us to put so much on the line. It calls attention to our hypocrisy when we do not live these words.

I know many will say this is too extreme and why cant we just live in the here and now and share Jesus with our neighbor and reach out to the hurting? Well, by all means do that. That’s what we are supposed to be doing.

This post, this whole thought process, stems from this one thought I had while driving home today: So many Christians/Christian-Americans (as I like to refer) that I know would quickly join with me in saying, "Let us put away our hate and our killing and live as Jesus intended, to love our neighbor as ourselves" and yet would still cringe (perhaps even disassociate with me) if I said, "Let us put away our tanks and FA-18s and guided nuclear missiles; let us not retaliate to a terrorist attack like 911 with a deadly man hunt, but instead forgive and love." Yeah, that’s not going to fly...

I’m preaching a dangerous sermon here. How can I tell a country to stop going to war that is a country founded upon war (The Revolutionary War), that can't exist together without war (The Civil War), that has probably the most significant history marker of war (Hiroshima, Nagasaki), that seems to make sport of war - that when someone else is fighting, we politely ask, "may we cut in?" I am thankful to God that I am an American. I am proud to be a Christian (for what that term meant 2000 years ago).

If this post has caused anyone to say, "that’s un-American!" I will politely have you know that it was written by an American under the privileges of free speech - that’s pretty American.

If this post has caused you to hate me or what I have to say, then I’m sad. I am sad that you may miss the only really important message that I could possibly share.

So, if I’m not alive tomorrow...
...it was probably an angry reader with nuclear arms capabilities.

peace to you all
-tg

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added 3-9-08 5:45pm :
I wondered if I had done a just service with this post; wondering if I had somehow led some Christians off the path of seeking a life of complete service to Christ by painting a rather grim picture of what that might be in the end. But then I recalled the very words of Christ as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14:28-33 where He implies that it is the smart (and logical) thing to do to count the cost before taking on a task. Consider this as merely counting the cost.

the church is full of humans

I may not be aged, but I’ve seen many things. I served in many churches in different capacities and this is what I know. Traditional, contemporary, city, or country.. church is church. People come together in the name of Jesus for the purpose of adoration to the King and to build each other up through encouragement and instruction. Every church (and by church, I mean every congregation) has one serious flaw, however. All churches are made up of people and I’m one of them - as flawed as anybody else.

I’ve been to churches where leaders actually tore people down. I pray daily for those (who will remain nameless) to turn back to the intentions of Christ and His church.

If you dig deep enough, you will find that every group of humans has failed someone somewhere somehow, but true love never fails

peace, -tg