So I am an idealist. I am easily motivated and inspired by concepts. Much of my own spiritual life and journey reflects this. It's true close friends (and even my wife) will comment when I am going into theologian mode. I have a number of dear friends whom with I love having deep God-conversations. It is like theological nerd candy.
Now I'm not saying my faith is an intellectual activity for me. The reality is, occasionally when I pray, one of these ideas or realities of God or His love can hit me so profoundly that it leads to an affective response and even tears. God has lead me to have a contemplative side to my relationship with Him.
But there is a challenge and a danger here. Do I let these ideas and realizations transform me? And I'm not just talking about an emotional response. Do they change how I live my life? There is a subtly that can take hold and lead to a cooling of my heart. It leads to a type of complacency where I am comfortable with my faith, because I know about God and His love. I can even think... "Shoot thinking about these things even lead my eyes to fill."
Somehow I get the feeling that when Jesus declared, "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!" he was talking about more than just nice ideas (no matter how true) or powerful feelings (no matter how valid). He was talking about a radical transformation of hearts and lives. Sure fire gives off light and reveals truth. Sure fire gives off heat and warm hearts. But Jesus is talking about a life, an earth ON FIRE, totally consumed by the flames, transformed, and forged into something new. He wants our faith to be more just knowledge known, or feelings felt, but something lived, something that gets our hands dirty.
A practical illustration that I hope is not oversimplifying my point...
I could see someone hurting, maybe someone in the pews at church, a coworker, and homeless person on the street, and I can think to myself, "This person is a child of God with dignity and value and worthy of God's love." Maybe my intellect will even lead me to pray for this individual and God would reveal His love to them.
Or maybe it even goes a step further, I am even moved by the person and I feel God's love and pity for that person.
But is that it? Well I sure hope that is enough. It sure is safe and in my comfort zone. I feel pretty good about what I thought and felt, shoot I even prayed. Aren't I compassionate? God, I hope that is enough, don't call me to do more. I've already done...
(sigh)
You want me to get my hands dirty don't You? I guess if being Your hands and feet involves more that just intellectual sentiments, no matter how sentimental that may lead me to become. You want me to be sacramental... You want me to that concrete reality of Your love for someone else.
Imagine if Jesus held back. "Okay Father, I've taught these people all about Your love and the Kingdom! Mission accomplished right?... Okay, well look I feel really bad for the leper over there. I'm done now right?... Oh You want me to heal him. To treat him like a human being."
Or take it one step further... Christ just didn't teach about God's love; He just didn't feel it and have compassion, weeping over Lazarus, sweating blood and tears. He held nothing back. He lived it... even to the point of dying on the Cross.
Why do worship? We worship because there is a God who lives His love for us. How do we worship? By living His love for others. Lord, prepare the field of my heart, so I am willing to get my hands dirty, to hold nothing back.
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