Closure and Complexity
Wow - it's Friday already. I have SO much to get done...
At Bible study this morning we were in Revelation chapter 15 and the chapter begins and ends with the idea of closure:
15:1 "Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended."
15:8b "...and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended."
Closure - endings. One of the pastors at the study told us about a husband and wife - separated but not divorced. The wife died and the children told the husband that he was absolutely not to come to the funeral... He was to have NO contact with his, is estranged the right word?, wife at the funeral home in any way (not even a private visitation for his own closure). I can't imagine the hate and hurt that must be going on in that family and I don't sit in judgement of the decisions of the children - it could be that he was a terrible, terrible man. I have no idea.
What it sparked in me, though, was how I always need closure to everything. Even if untidily, I have to tie everything up before I can leave it. Arguements, projects, promises, whatever. I need closure. I really don't like to "let the sun go down on [my] anger." It eats me up. In fact, my apologies to my family come now almost as soon as the offense takes place. I know I can be a jerk - and I realize it as soon as it happens and I really try to stop myself - but when I can't, I'm right there with an apology. Which sometimes doesn't sound sincere - I mean, after all, if I knew it was wrong, why did I say it in the first place? I don't know. The hurt is too raw - the apology can't be...experienced, received...so quickly. So why do I do it? Dunno. Like I said, sometimes I can be a jerk...
I guess none of this has to do with Revelation. Except... Well, we spent a fair amount of time this morning talking about WHY DOES GOD HAVE TO END IT ALL SO BRUTALLY? I mean, it's not like I can say, "Dunno, sometimes he's a jerk." Come on. And it isn't enough for me to just fall back on Isaiah 55:
55:8-9 -- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
I mean, I KNOW that's true - and sometimes I have to come back to that idea - God's ways and thoughts are beyond me. BUT... I still ask, "Why?"
I still ask (9 years a pastor, 25 years a Christian) why BLOOD? I mean, why does Jesus have to die for my sin? Why couldn't it have been as simple as washing (baptism) or making a covenant or circumcision (okay, maybe that's not so simple...what about women, for example?)...Okay, but get the point. The one who created all that is by simply SPEAKING it into existence could have made salvation work in any way, as simple or as complicated as desired. (Just walk throught the water and you're saved or follow these 613 commands exactly and you're saved...whatever). So why so brutal?
I asked my youth that question during Bible study once and they came up with the only answer I can give: because it's THAT important to God. I guess I can understand that. We came down really hard on our 5 year old a few weeks ago because she lied to us. And I had to explain to her that the reason we came down so hard on her was that she needed to understand how bad lying was... And she understands. So, why blood? Because our sin, our separation from God, is THAT big a deal to God.
Why the brutal ending? I still don't know... But, as another pastor noted this morning, I can always look back at the cross and see just how much God loves me. Even if I don't understand why things have to be the way they are, I can trust in that love, in that Grace...
And, in the end, it really is pretty simple. At least for me. Let go of that which destroys, embrace that which brings life and wholeness...
Grace and Peace...
At Bible study this morning we were in Revelation chapter 15 and the chapter begins and ends with the idea of closure:
15:1 "Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended."
15:8b "...and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were ended."
Closure - endings. One of the pastors at the study told us about a husband and wife - separated but not divorced. The wife died and the children told the husband that he was absolutely not to come to the funeral... He was to have NO contact with his, is estranged the right word?, wife at the funeral home in any way (not even a private visitation for his own closure). I can't imagine the hate and hurt that must be going on in that family and I don't sit in judgement of the decisions of the children - it could be that he was a terrible, terrible man. I have no idea.
What it sparked in me, though, was how I always need closure to everything. Even if untidily, I have to tie everything up before I can leave it. Arguements, projects, promises, whatever. I need closure. I really don't like to "let the sun go down on [my] anger." It eats me up. In fact, my apologies to my family come now almost as soon as the offense takes place. I know I can be a jerk - and I realize it as soon as it happens and I really try to stop myself - but when I can't, I'm right there with an apology. Which sometimes doesn't sound sincere - I mean, after all, if I knew it was wrong, why did I say it in the first place? I don't know. The hurt is too raw - the apology can't be...experienced, received...so quickly. So why do I do it? Dunno. Like I said, sometimes I can be a jerk...
I guess none of this has to do with Revelation. Except... Well, we spent a fair amount of time this morning talking about WHY DOES GOD HAVE TO END IT ALL SO BRUTALLY? I mean, it's not like I can say, "Dunno, sometimes he's a jerk." Come on. And it isn't enough for me to just fall back on Isaiah 55:
55:8-9 -- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
I mean, I KNOW that's true - and sometimes I have to come back to that idea - God's ways and thoughts are beyond me. BUT... I still ask, "Why?"
I still ask (9 years a pastor, 25 years a Christian) why BLOOD? I mean, why does Jesus have to die for my sin? Why couldn't it have been as simple as washing (baptism) or making a covenant or circumcision (okay, maybe that's not so simple...what about women, for example?)...Okay, but get the point. The one who created all that is by simply SPEAKING it into existence could have made salvation work in any way, as simple or as complicated as desired. (Just walk throught the water and you're saved or follow these 613 commands exactly and you're saved...whatever). So why so brutal?
I asked my youth that question during Bible study once and they came up with the only answer I can give: because it's THAT important to God. I guess I can understand that. We came down really hard on our 5 year old a few weeks ago because she lied to us. And I had to explain to her that the reason we came down so hard on her was that she needed to understand how bad lying was... And she understands. So, why blood? Because our sin, our separation from God, is THAT big a deal to God.
Why the brutal ending? I still don't know... But, as another pastor noted this morning, I can always look back at the cross and see just how much God loves me. Even if I don't understand why things have to be the way they are, I can trust in that love, in that Grace...
And, in the end, it really is pretty simple. At least for me. Let go of that which destroys, embrace that which brings life and wholeness...
Grace and Peace...
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