The Dandelion Method

It is difficult to discuss Christianity without thinking about the concept of being re-born.  Now here I am not only referring to the saving grace of God making it possible for the believer to become born again, but something additional above and beyond that.  The idea that when it comes to God showing up in our lives, there is a profound change.  No one meets the real Jesus and stays the same.  

This type of change (or rebirth) is a difficult concept I suppose, because it often has more to do with letting our pride go, than anything else.  The stubborn person who refuses to become teachable is not a lot of help to the kingdom of heaven - much less to you and I.  And so it would seem that this process of changing - or allowing God to change us - requires a degree of humbleness and humility.  Again, this is difficult for us.  It means that before we met God, we may have had a skewed view of the world around us and how things operate.  If Jesus changes us, then we change from the inside out.  And this my friends, can look even stranger to the outside world watching a genuine believer attempt to repent and follow Christ.

One of my favorite Christian teachers is Philip Yancey.  He always manages to weave in the perfect metaphor when it comes to talking about profound Biblical truth.  In his book 'The Jesus I Never Knew', Yancey makes the bold claim that the way we learned about Jesus when we were younger, may in fact be part of this skewed worldview.  He says that some of the things we learned in Sunday School as children may in fact be up for grabs when we stop to look at the context and Gospel accounts that we have in the New Testament as adults.  

Yancey equates it to a dandelion (I told you there would be a metaphor).  When this weed takes on the form of a seed head, many children can be seen plucking it from the ground and blowing on it.  The seeds will then scatter across the open field or yard, only to rest and reproduce somewhere else.  

This process kills the dandelion flower of course, but allows many others to form in its place.  If we stop and think about it, this is exactly what Jesus' ministry did in first century Palestine.  Jesus told his followers that he must die and go to the Father in order for them to do even greater things than him.   Jesus had to be crucified so that salvation could come to the world.  It appears that in Biblical terms, a thing must die first, before it can grow.

If you are confused at this point, don't worry - you are not alone.  There are countless accounts of the disciples listening to what Jesus had to say and then scratching their heads in confusion.  It's a common phenomena when exegeting Biblical truth, I think.   

There is a famous story about a mustard seed in the Gospel of Matthew.  Chapter 13:31-32 says, "He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.'"

In order for the kingdom of heaven to grow and mature, the seedling itself must first die.  And see how it does grow!  Scripture says it becomes a tree, large enough that the birds will come and perch in the branches.  A shrub or a bush wouldn't suffice here.  God's plan accomplishes more than that.

The story of the resurrection is central to Christian belief, and it is the story of a dying and rising God, isn't it?  We have someone who came to Earth as a child, grew into a man who began a three-year ministry that would change the world, and then all of a sudden he was crucified and died on a cross.  The Bible goes on to say that Jesus was resurrected on the third day, and then spent a number of weeks moving about the countryside and showing himself to his followers and townspeople.  What an experience this must have been.

He then ascends into heaven, but not before giving his disciples a bit of advice in the form of the Great Commission.  "Baptize all nations" he tells them, "in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit."

Then in a blink, he was gone.  Yet we are still talking about him 2,000 years later.

And we have now come to the part where we discuss what it means for you and I to 'die to self' such that we can grow also.  Now this is no fun at all sometimes, let me assure you.  You will recall our discussion about being humble a few moments ago.  Dying to self - or letting go of earthly things in order to embrace heavenly things - requires us to be teachable.  That means we are to stop being so stubborn and prideful.  We are to let God in, and admit that He can accomplish more in our lives than we could otherwise do on our own.

I wish there was an easier way, but Jesus tells us in Matthew 16:24 that, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  It is part of our religion; a part of our faith walk.  We do not earn our salvation, but change will surely follow this saving grace.  It is the evidence of our spiritual transition. 

Nothing stays the same in this world, does it?   The car wears out and then we need a new one.  The kids grow up and go off to college.  We get older and then retire.  But in the middle of all this change is also beauty.  How much more beautiful if God is at the center?  We ought to consider letting Him in.

I don't believe in a spiritual neutral.  God wants us to keep moving forward, keep changing, and keep improving.  We are not simply to 'hang out' spiritually in one spot for an extended period of time.  This goes for life down here on Earth also, and apparently for life in the kingdom of heaven as well.  

We may use the analogy of a dandelion if it helps; I think Philip Yancey would be proud.  But remember, we are worth far more than a flower to God.  And if we are to change our life, let it be for Him.  

Time to shift the car out of neutral and back into drive.  And while we are at it, allow God to take the wheel.



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A God Type Thing

It is my desire today to discuss a concept in the Bible known as the Trinity.  Now mind you, this task is not an easy one.  Many people smarter than I have attempted it.  Theologians, philosophers, and scholars the world over have written a wealth of information about this important idea.  And I dare say, none have nailed it perfectly.  So, with that in mind, I now undertake this task with the full realization that when writing about God, it is okay to assume that we may get some things just a bit wrong.  Nevertheless, He has laid out a path for us in Holy Scripture full of revealed truth and signposts ushering us toward these higher concepts.  It is our duty to follow the signs I think; that is why signs are posted in the first place, isn't it? 

Let's begin with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.  It is a famous passage for sure.  But we will now look at it in a different light, one that many readers may miss the first  time they read it.  Matthew 3:16-17 says this, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

At first glance, this may simply sound like a recounting of the supernatural phenomena that surrounded Christ's baptism.  But look again.  We have here - I believe - an excellent description about the veracity of the Trinitarian notion of God.  Notice the three elements going on here in this passage.  There is talk about the Father's voice, mention made of the Son rising up out of the water, and an image of the Spirit descending like a dove.  Three persons or beings, and all of them intermingling and working together in unison.  Different and distinct, but alike at the same time.

When discussing matters like this, I often find it helpful to remember that ancient man was much better prepared to handle spiritual mystery and paradox than we are today.  They were okay with apparent discrepancies like when the Bible refers to Jesus in one place as the Prince of Peace, but in another place quotes him as coming to earth to 'bring a sword' (and not peace).  The twenty-first century reader (by contrast) is always looking for things to make sense in nice, neat packages tied with a ribbon of logic and a bow made of sensibility.  We like things to line up and make perfect sense all the time.  Black and white.

Is God boring and predictable?  Does He move in ways that always agree with our personal sensitivities and our own set of values and mores?  Most assuredly not.  If He does in your mind, then I would suggest re-reading the Bible again from start to finish.  God is good and just, but He does what He wants.  He is sovereign over all. 

Nature seems to mimic this strange idea of the trinity as well.  Many of you may have heard about the water metaphor when it comes to discussing the three persons of God.  Water is one element with many uses, for example.  In it's natural state, it is of course liquid.  Once frozen, however, it becomes hard as a rock.  Still another change occurs when water is heated up and becomes vapor.  Three forms, but one element.  

Now this is a fine analogy, as far as it goes.  But once we compare it to the three persons of the Holy Trinity, there are some differences.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not require a disparity in temperature in order to enact change for example.  And which form represents God the Father?  Which to represent the Spirit or the Son?  You get the idea.  But I do think it helps us, at least in the same way that a child can be helped when its parent shows it something similar when trying to explain, let's say ... quantum physics.  We get the gist of it, and then it's fuzzy again.  But it's still enough to get us headed in the right direction.

Now mind you, an idea this odd could not be guessed at by our own intellect acting alone.  I don't think you and I would have come up with a God that acts like this without hearing about it from some place else.  In other words, if God hadn't revealed it via the Scriptures, we wouldn't have assumed it.  He has revealed this notion to us throughout the Bible again and again.  It shows up in the Great Commission, in the baptism of Christ, in the epistles, etc.  It is here to stay, and the church has picked up on it, most likely with no small degree of illumination by the Holy Spirit I'm sure.

So what can we take away from all of this theology talk?  How is this important for you and I in our day to day lives?  It matters because I believe it is God's primary example of what a loving community should look like.  I think it's important because the three persons of the trinity act like a holy family who loves one another - it shows us how we are supposed to act.  They sacrifice for each other, they work with each other, and they love each other.  Is that not how we should also behave?  

Try to think of a situation where love isn't best exemplified through community and a relationship (more than one person).  It is difficult to surmise love acting through kindness without having at least two entities, isn't it?  All the better with three.  God has set for us an example, as He so often does.  An example of how the Christian believer is to remain in fellowship with one another, and with God also.  Faith is not a solo walk.  We are supposed to seek each other out.

And I want to mention one more important thing here, and this trips up a lot of people (especially from other religions).  Because God has been revealed to us through Scripture as three persons, it doesn't mean we have three Gods.  We have one God, in three persons.  The mono-theistic approach to the God of Abraham and the God of Jacob is still very much accurate.  We worship and supplicate ourselves to only one being.  

And this I think, is where the mystery of who and what God is must come to an abrupt end.  Not because there isn't anything left to learn about Him, but because our human attempts to explain away His mystery must surely, at some point, hit a brick wall.  We have been given this concept of Him and we should think about it and study it - but good luck explaining it in a way that unpacks the true paradox of God the Father.  It is, after all, a God type thing.

As Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  I am grateful that He is holding the reigns and not me.  It would be a much different outcome for all of us if man could fully explain God.  I have a feeling we weren't meant to.  What a different type of faith we would have if that were possible. 




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