An Invitation to The Messy Middle

 

Some people are meant to write books and blogs while other people are so bogged down with the day to day work of the ministry they never seem to get to share their journey.  For over a decade I have wrestled with wanting to chronicle my particular ministry story, not because I am special or somehow better than anyone else but rather because I believe I am a lot like many others who find themselves wrestling with the inherent tension found between the words of Jesus and much of what we call evangelical or even orthodox Christianity in our world today. 

It is my hope that my ministry journey as a seasoned, yet somehow still always green pastor, will help others in their quest to become men & women who live & love like Jesus in a world that teaches us to dominate, belittle, and control those around us. From the very beginning of my call to ministry I have wanted to share the hope that I, a once alcohol, drug, and porn addicted thief, found through the grace, kindness, & love of a man, who was more than just a man. This man of course was and is Jesus, my risen savior. 

Sadly, as my ministry journey has progressed I have seen Jesus’ words used as a battering ram on the souls of far too many people. And, as I look around it is obvious that those conducting such attacks are the people who call themselves Christians. These are the people who have been entrusted with the honor of shining the light of Christ for ALL to see by loving well yet many have chosen to act as if they have been empowered to act as judge, jury, and executioner for those who need love, acceptance, and kindness the most.

Sadder still is the reality that over the years I have excused my own behavior in seasons when I allowed myself to be one of the worst of these Christ followers.  I was, and often still am, quick to take it on myself to judge, condemn, demean, belittle, and exclude people that are outside my mold of what a “good Christian” or put more honestly, a worthy person looks like.

Certainly there are some absolute truths that I must cling too tightly if I want to ensure that I don’t stray from the truth of my Savior.  Those absolutes will be addressed in this blog and hopefully in a coming book.  But for now it seems sufficient to state that I am deeply conservative in my theological thinking in that I cling to the words of Jesus found in Matthew: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” - Matthew 22:36-40 (CSB)

I believe in these simple words from Jesus that we see everything we need to hinge our theology on.  The focus is placed rightly on the very creator of the universe. The God who created us, taught us how to live, and wants us to thrive as his creation. Furthermore, we learn that part of that identity is his creation is an understanding of how to love ourselves well, I’m not saying that we love ourselves in the way the world says to love ourselves where we do whatever we want regardless of the consequences to ourselves or others, but that we love ourselves in light of the glorious beauty of being his child who was created for great things. Now we get to the part that many of us mess up! 

Once we learn how to love ourselves, as one who has been loved by God, we must then allow that love to season the way we treat others. When people meet us they must encounter someone who loves them deeply, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. This is where we have failed to live out the commands of Jesus. 

Many people seem to believe that we live in a binary world where everything is cut and dry, black or white or right of wrong. What I have discovered in my time living as a disciple of Jesus is that it isn’t a binary world at all. There are many areas of gray, areas that I like to call the messy middle. It is in the messy middle that we must reside when we encounter people different than ourselves, even people who would consider us their enemy or vice versa. It is when we understand this that we will see our theology bring change to a world in desperate need of kindness from those who have claimed to follow the kindest man who ever walked the face of the Earth. 

What is needed in our world is a commitment from those who follow Christ to live in the Messy Middle where Jesus lived so that we can ensure that no one is excluded from the love found in Jesus’ Kingdom!  

I invite you to join me on the journey into Living in the Messy Middle where we will stand out as countercultural followers of Christ who embrace the tension so that Jesus’ Love will be experienced by ALL we encounter!