There was a term I heard expressed about 50 years ago that was said a bit in anger and at times said as if the speaker was in a state of disbelief in what they saw. It was a bit paradoxical. And it was surely verbal irony. The speaker said, “Christ on a crutch!” This of Jesus who healed the lame. Raised the dead. Multiplied a small amount of fish and bread that fed thousands and still had 12 baskets of leftovers pointing to who else would be fed. So, this surely is a contradictory statement yet it seems appropriate today in too many cases. Today I see people serving a god who limps.
I remember well, even a few decades ago, when there were healing meetings. I saw and participated in actual healings. I saw people come in with such expectation. Such hope. I saw backs healed. Vision restored. Surgeries having to be rescheduled as there was no longer a need. I took part in praying for a little 1-year old girl with a shunt in her brain because of hydrocephalus. When she went to her next Dr appointment the shunt had disappeared. Although overjoyed, I was not incredulous. This is the One I pray to. But the last couple decades have seemed to produce so very little of what we should expect. We see the “Church” go after that which will bring them a seat at the table of power but stupidly surrendering a seat at His table. There is a story of St. Thomas Aquinas that is shared in Dallas Willard’s book, The Spirit of the Disciplines.” It says, “While walking amid the splendors of Rome, a friend said to St. Thomas, “We Christians no longer have to say to the world, silver and gold have we none.” To which St. Thomas replied, “But neither can we say to the lame man, ‘In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk.'” We see a church today that has become wed to all Jesus told us to walk away from. We watch as the poor and marginalized are swept out of sight. Not a thought as to how measures in a “big, beautiful bill” will take away health care and food. But we see glee and pointing to heaven after this bill was passed. Giving God the glory for an evil He has no part in. And not one tear shed for those they starve, arrest and kill. How delusional must one be to cast off all the Word says regarding how we treat others?
Jesus was clear when he replied to the Pharisees in Matthew 22 saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He said this is the first and great commandment. But the second is like the first; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus was saying this to those who proclaimed to know and be part of Him who sent Jesus. But they did not. They looked for their own power. So much like what we see in our Christian nationalism today. Much organization and many words but every step brings them further from Christ. For He is with those who are being left behind. He has no part in the lies masquerading as gospel. No part in a church that seeks to align with an oppressive, authoritarian government that looks to steal from those that are in need in order to enrich the top 10% of our citizens. They discard His word in Proverbs 21:13 saying, “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.” Do they not think they will answer for what they do to the least of them?
We are no different than Israel in the bible casting off His commands and getting rid of His prophets and discarding what God required as it interfered with their own lifestyle. Frederick Buechner wrote,” When God’s demands seemed too exorbitant, God’s promises too remote, Israel took up with all the other gods who still get our votes and our money and our nine-to-five energies, because these are gods who could not care less whether we are holy or not and promise absolutely everything we really want and absolutely nothing we really need.” We must come out from among those following a path contrary to His path. Have no part in them. They serve a god who limps. Blessings.
Stand My Watch 