the difference

Okay, I have a question. What is the difference between a Christian and the rest of the world? I am currently living in a shared house. There are 4 of us at present and the divide is an even 50/50 as to believer status. My original intention in this living arrangement was to be a "witness" by sharing our lives. If I'm honest, when I got into this my desire was to have a christian majority (3/4). Safety in numbers I guess. Somehow, initially I found even these odds a little intimidating. Why, I have to ask myself. I think I now have some insight into this. Is it because I am ultimately insecure in my faith and actually coming from a weaker position instead of a stronger one. Well, possibly, to a degree but. I suppose it boils down to this; I don't want to be continually questioned as to the validity of my beliefs and more importantly i don't want to be exposed as a hypocrite by the contradictions in my lifestyle and my message. In short...can I walk the walk as well as talking the talk...and boy can I talk!

Being in my (ahem) mid 30's I have enough life experience to know that in normal terms "I ain't no saint". I know that even with the best will in the world, with all my best efforts at piousness my faults will be all too obvious and sometimes the more religious I get the more obvious the faults are. So why go ahead with the decision to open my life to scrutiny and to allow that to be the acid test for a few people to see the nuts and bolts of the spiritual workings of a self professed christian? I guess it's this....that I really believed that with all my faults, that in my openness to make mistakes publicly, that in my choices sometimes to repent and about face and in my willingness (and in the absolute necessity) to apologise and make amends that God IS present....and though I am undeniably human...he is undeniably God and he is in me by his spirit. If you like; Christ in me, the hope of glory.

I think, given my evangelical background, that too much emphasis has been put on beliefs and "ticking the right boxes", that the foundations of our faith are far too often based on systematic theology and not the love of Christ. How seriously do we take Jesus command to "Judge not less you are judged". I personally break that one hundreds of times every day. There is only ONE judge.You don't need to look at the bible for too long to find out that these issues of belief are far from clear cut. Its mixed up, wheat and weeds. Moral ambiguity and double standards are rife.....the mist of ambiguity only clears for me around the person of Jesus Christ, suddenly the focus of our gaze becomes crisp and clear and bright....for as Colossians tells us; we are looking at the visible image of the invisible God. It is over reliance of doctrinal positions that causes us to live in Ivory towers and form christian ghettos. We are called to be "not of this world" sure. We are also called to be IN it.

I had a sad conversation with one of my non christian housemates last night. He can acknowledge that I at least aspire to follow the life I preach and to help people out, to love my neighbour and that there are others in the church he has met that also live a life of kindness and compassion. His argument is that those who live like this are no different to non believers who are compassionate...that this isn't really an indication of the reality of Gods love but simply a natural disposition. That there are others in the church who would have simply "walked on by" when he was homeless. I cant argue with that, much to my regret.

So What is the difference? I know what motivates me personally (and I know that my motives can be mixed) but am I just a "good man" (I shudder slightly to say that) in christian shoes? Where is Christ in me? Oh lord Jesus for some resurrection power. Am I really a child of the light, are they really children of the darkness? All I can tell you is that I can walk into a church as disillusioned as anyone, wallowing in self pity and bogged down with the guilt of my sin and failures and suddenly we sing a song to Jesus and my heart is summoned back to life. There is a presence with Gods people and focusing on him that I experience nowhere else. Worshipping him it all makes sense. He is my hearts home. At the end of the day it comes down to faith....and I simply believe...I cant help it!

possessions

The Rich and the Kingdom of God
  As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
   “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,”he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10)

I think its quite obvious from scripture that Jesus intentions were to shock and challenge his listeners. Even the disciples were in awe saying "who then can be saved?" This may not be the reaction you or I would have but we shouldn't be surprised....this kind of thinking is still prevalent in some circles of the faith. The root of it comes from the understanding that to be wealthy is a sign of Gods favor, and is to be coveted above most things. With it come standing and respect, the ability to be generous. If you think that Gods sole desire for your life is to prosper you materially then I'm afraid we worship different Gods and yours is not the God I see in Jesus. Yes riches are a blessing, as is every good gift. The heart of christian teaching on wealth is this; Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. As Paul says "I have learned to be content with much and with little". The trouble with earthly riches is that they are so transient and ultimately become a snare for us because we can come to put our trust in them. Jesus says we cannot serve 2 masters.

The other teaching we struggle with is the turning the other cheek/loving enemies one....it makes no sense and is just not practical. Jesus commanded us to give to all who ask, give and not hold back. No wonder he lost so many followers. You see Jesus said that the person is blessed who does not love their own life so much as to shrink back from death, and those who seek to save their lives will lose them. We MUST review our priorities! let me ask us all a question; WHEN WAS FOLLOWING JESUS EVER PRACTICAL (and when I say practical I believe that most of us understand that we really mean convenient). Even when Jesus himself had gone (phew, no more setting out on the road with no purse or sandals) one of the first works of the Holy spirit was to unify the believers and cause them to have ALL THINGS IN COMMON. That is that there was no heightened sense of ownership. In other words they were loving God with all their heart (and not putting personal gain before their worship of him) and their neighbor as themselves. In short Gods kingdom had come and his reign was evident. We pray frequently in the lords prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" and yet I have to ask the question...are we willing to let him be our King and are we willing to do his bidding and renounce worldly goods over loving our neighbors.

We wonder why the church is so ineffective....may I suggest it might just be because we fail to accept the hard teaching of Jesus and thereby do not, in fact serve him as we cannot serve two masters. When the king is on the throne....the kingdom is working and running smoothly! Can we really say like Peter

                                                   “We have left everything to follow you!”

Peter was able to say this with full integrity and so Jesus next words must have carried a real encouragement to him rather than pie in the sky. He says;

                 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel  will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

The thing that heartens me is the very human reaction Jesus has to this rich young man..from anyone else it seem smug but from the lamb of God it resonates to my core; Jesus looked at him and loved him....this always precedes any call for us to lay something down and it does so now. Give to all who ask you. Give and do not hold back.

Getting started

Hi all! I've always wanted to "do" a blog but been so technically incompetent in the past that I've never quite got around to it .....until now. As a good friend of mine said to me a year ago when I got my first e-mail account..."Welcome to the '90's" My enjoyment of technology has been slowly gathering pace.....1st phone in 2003, 1st Internet search in 2005, use of e-mail (my ex-wife's account) in 2008, 1st snoop of a My-Space account (shortly followed by divorce) 2009....joined facebook Jan '10.....and now this...the world is my oyster. Still cant do downloads for my damn MP3, but it WILL come....it surely will!

Okay, well I have to address the rather grandiose title of my Blog I suppose. Primarily I felt put on the spot and rushed the decision (something I vowed never to do again after I created an incredibly long and slightly inexplicable e-mail address) but with past experience in mind I did my best to think of something I can live with. I have a Mumford and Sons CD in front of me on the desk (hence "little lion man" tag) and secondly I am both  a christian and a Bob Dylan fan. "Truth is an Arrow" is lifted from a Bob lyric in the song "When He Returns" taken from Bobs most explicit Christian period of music. The full lyric reads; truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that it passes through. Now I suppose I wanted the concept of truth in my blog title because the idea of truth (and more specifically honesty) is central to my faith and life. That means I promise I wont try and blag you into thinking I'm some kind of spiritual giant. I'm not. I am all too human. However I am prone to moments of utter conviction and I cant apologise for that either. Its a mixed up wheat and tares kinda life and there is sour....and there is sweet. Truth in its purest essence is flighty (you have to be quick to catch it) it is powerful (try getting on the wrong end of the moving arrow) and its target is small (perception is key and the time to receive it is often short).

I want to be free to be real and truthful about my faith and my doubts. God takes on the whole person he doesn't just see me in my Sunday best (I never wear Sunday best) and I cannot lie to him nor hide from him. As Jesus said...You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Feel free to come along on my journey, in part or in full and I will do my best lighten and enlighten yours!