The quote that was posted on Monday morning has long been one of my favorites: THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH. If that is indeed the case, then there are a lot of WEAK Christians running around this earth! Joy is not necessarily the first adjective one would use to describe some folks who profess to be Christians. In fact, many people experience Christians as being somber, pious, and a tad bit judgmental. How that reflects the Good News of Jesus Christ, I’ll never know!
The truth is, most of the images we’ve ever seen of Jesus are serious and sometimes, downright morose. I noticed this a couple weeks ago during my time away at Lindenwood, where every image of Jesus was a sorrowful one. Obviously, the crucifix in the middle of the cemetery and the statues telling the story of the Stations of the Cross are going to be sad ones, as they depict His suffering and death. But the stained glass images in the Motherhouse and paintings that lined various hallways perpetuated this message.
I have a dear friend who converted to Catholicism a few years back, but to this day, struggles with Lent because, in her words, “It’s just so darn depressing.” God bless her for her honesty! Frankly, I get where she’s coming from. While Lent can be a valuable time for taking stock of one’s faith life and stripping away that which is not essential, the seriousness of it all can be overwhelming.
At Lent and even year round, the death of Jesus seems to get all the “press”, and that emphasis shortchanges the importance of Jesus’ LIFE. And the way He lived His life was revolutionary! That was sort of the whole point. God became incarnate to show us a better way to live.
Jesus wants more from us than the belief that He died for our sins. I think He wants us to allow His life to inform our own, so that the choices we make and the way we treat people are an expression of God’s love.
When I think of how Jesus lived His life, the undeniable theme running through it is that He chose the most unlikely people to be His followers.
He purposely called tax collectors (the most despised of all humankind at the time!) to be part of His ministry.
He ate with prostitutes, and did not concern Himself with who had washed their hands and who had not prior to dining with Him.
He valued, respected, and revered women: talk about a rule breaker! Surely the Samaritan woman at the well and Mary Magdalene were transformed by their encounters with Him.
I love to imagine the look on Jesus’ face when He extended these invitations. I can see His impish grin and the way His eyes light up.
I also imagine those he encountered responding with, “Me?!? Are you sure? I’m not worthy of this. I don’t fit in with the inner circle.”
And Jesus, who always purposely and confidently aligned Himself with those on the OUTER circle, keeps smiling, extending His hands, saying, “Come. Follow me.”
He even included Judas and Peter at the Last Supper, all the while knowing that Judas would betray him and Peter would deny him. Yet he did not bar them from the table. (The church could learn a thing or two from that example!)
Indeed, it is the JOY of the Lord that is our strength: the way that we welcome, include and love everyone.
Go share the Good News!
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