Viruses
My whole family has been sick for...well, it SEEMS like forever, but I guess it's only been about three weeks...only...heh... But that's what happens in families that spend a lot of time together. One gets sick, then sneezes on another who coughs on another and daddy finishes his sick daughters hamburger (or whatever) and on and on it goes. We've all been through anibiotics (though I'm not sure why since I'm pretty sure we've been passing a virus back and forth...but, as I keep telling my wife, my M D is a Masters of Divinity - doesn't really help with the whole medical thing...).
In addition - my computer got infected...ARGH!!! I hate this aspect of the world wide web - it's dangerous out there... Of course I did something stupid. I couldn't find the registration code for a piece of software I had to reinstall so I thought I'll just go get it somewhere... LAST time I had computer problems it's because I did the same thing... In the end, I bit the bullet, spent the 40 bucks to RE-register the software and the key wouldn't work (but when I reinstalled the demo it worked just fine - go figure...argh...).
So, lemme work this into something...sort of.
We should be viral with our faith. It should be contagious. Right? I mean, it was SO stinkin' easy to get this flu/cold whatever I got from the girls. Why is it so hard to "pass on" our faith? But it is. That's the reality. Just as hard for me as it is for anybody. I guess the best I can do is try to be "viral" with the love of God - to try to live as much in emulation of the Savior as I can... I'm not very good at it. I don't know Him nearly as well as I'd like to... But I'm working it out...
I was reading in 1 Timothy this morning Paul's warning about heresy in chapter 1 and the commentary that I was reading (Billy Barclay - heh) talked about Gnosticism. My memories from seminary of gnosticism were that it was all about special knowledge. But Barclay points out the warped Christology of the heresy. That the ONE true God couldn't interact with matter since matter is evil and so the ONE TRUE GOD sent out emanations which sent out emanations which sent out emanations until an emanation was so far removed from the ONE TRUE GOD that it could "handle" creation - this was the Creator god - the god of the Old Testament - in essence, nearly an evil being. The devil, according to this notion, was a further emanation - even further removed from the ONE TRUE GOD and actually evil. Yep, the devil came from God... (okay, I know that the devil was created by God, just like everything else, but not like this...like some kind of mutated...I don't know...). Jesus was an emanation, too - just closer to the ONE TRUE GOD than the god of the Old Testament or any other emanation...
Sigh... It just gets weirder and weirder. The point? Well, maybe, the problem is that we don't really know God - not in the gnostic "I've got a secret" kinda way - but in the real, and deep, relational way that transcends knowledge and experience and dives into faith and spiritual reality...
We can't pass on what we don't know.
For example. Let me share with you everything I know about quantum physics...
There, now that we have that all cleared up, you now know...well, NOTHING about quantum physics because I don't know anything about it.
I can't share someone I don't know myself...
Grace and Peace...
In addition - my computer got infected...ARGH!!! I hate this aspect of the world wide web - it's dangerous out there... Of course I did something stupid. I couldn't find the registration code for a piece of software I had to reinstall so I thought I'll just go get it somewhere... LAST time I had computer problems it's because I did the same thing... In the end, I bit the bullet, spent the 40 bucks to RE-register the software and the key wouldn't work (but when I reinstalled the demo it worked just fine - go figure...argh...).
So, lemme work this into something...sort of.
We should be viral with our faith. It should be contagious. Right? I mean, it was SO stinkin' easy to get this flu/cold whatever I got from the girls. Why is it so hard to "pass on" our faith? But it is. That's the reality. Just as hard for me as it is for anybody. I guess the best I can do is try to be "viral" with the love of God - to try to live as much in emulation of the Savior as I can... I'm not very good at it. I don't know Him nearly as well as I'd like to... But I'm working it out...
I was reading in 1 Timothy this morning Paul's warning about heresy in chapter 1 and the commentary that I was reading (Billy Barclay - heh) talked about Gnosticism. My memories from seminary of gnosticism were that it was all about special knowledge. But Barclay points out the warped Christology of the heresy. That the ONE true God couldn't interact with matter since matter is evil and so the ONE TRUE GOD sent out emanations which sent out emanations which sent out emanations until an emanation was so far removed from the ONE TRUE GOD that it could "handle" creation - this was the Creator god - the god of the Old Testament - in essence, nearly an evil being. The devil, according to this notion, was a further emanation - even further removed from the ONE TRUE GOD and actually evil. Yep, the devil came from God... (okay, I know that the devil was created by God, just like everything else, but not like this...like some kind of mutated...I don't know...). Jesus was an emanation, too - just closer to the ONE TRUE GOD than the god of the Old Testament or any other emanation...
Sigh... It just gets weirder and weirder. The point? Well, maybe, the problem is that we don't really know God - not in the gnostic "I've got a secret" kinda way - but in the real, and deep, relational way that transcends knowledge and experience and dives into faith and spiritual reality...
We can't pass on what we don't know.
For example. Let me share with you everything I know about quantum physics...
There, now that we have that all cleared up, you now know...well, NOTHING about quantum physics because I don't know anything about it.
I can't share someone I don't know myself...
Grace and Peace...
Comments
I'm not sure that is quantum physics, but I know it is some type of physics.
Thinking about Viruses - you are the most contageous (sp) when you are first infected yourself. This is often also true of Christianity. It spreads wildly where it hasn't built up a resistance. Also often true of Christianity. Eventually we will become immune to all weaker viruses and the strongest ones will overtake us because they are resistant to everything we have to block it. I hope this is true of Christianity.
Maybe our traditions are keeping us back from "mutating" into something more deadly.
To get rid of your virus stay away from each other and outside forces. It will run its course once and be done. It can't be spread to new people and it won't have a chance to mutate and re-infect you. Gee, kind of like what the church is doing now. Staying secluded and divided. Awkward.