a·ban·don [uh-ban-duh-n] 2.to give up; discontinue; withdraw from
So the point of this meditation/experiment is in no way just an academic look at a conceptual truth. The point of this whole thing is that Jesus Christ is real, what He taught is real, and He is really coming back. With all of its mistake made by its ambassadors over the years, the truth is still Jesus is the way…even though the truth has been distorted by a culture that has strayed far from the value system of the Way (what Jesus taught). I don’t say all of this to be a downer, especially to the Church…but I believe we need a wake up call. We have built churches, organizations, programs, and traditions on doctrines (systematically or not) that are largely skewed by the dim mirror rather than being formed by a legitimate hunger to know God. I’ve done the same in the past in my ministry and mentality.
Every day my prayer is, “Jesus, teach me.” Really, my life needs to be about: Jesus (period) I’m not interested in a religious system that focuses on a paying of dues or of getting others to join the club. Christianity is not about a list of dos and don’ts that changes how you act in a social setting, rather it’s about encountering the One who created us and in His incarnation (Jesus), He changes us with His Spirit. And that God-man, Jesus Christ, is coming back. And I really believe this…so I can’t live “business as usual.” So if I look like I’m withdrawing from the culture of what we know in the U.S. this is why. I’m not devoting my life to a purist/holiness mentality in effort to be more pious. I’m simply following this Jesus man as best I can. What He’s developing in my heart is a longing to reach out to the poor. I’m starting to cry out for those who have no voice (or treated as not having one). My prayer is that somewhere at the end of this journey, Joel will be non-existent and Jesus will be all that’s left. I know it will be an exciting journey, and painful…but it’s worth it.