To Humbly Walk

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” Matthew 5:13

This is not the first outrageous thing that Jesus says in the Sermon. It is, however, pretty out there. This statement may be the first that stuns us. Within this verse lays the point of the Sermon. In telling us that we are the Salt of the Earth. It sums up who we are and prepares us for the instruction that is to follow.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Jeremiah 31:31

Within the Sermon Jesus is revealing the new covenant.

The most common comment pertaining to Jesus telling us that we are the salt of the earth is that the other people have it wrong. Of course the author of the commentary, the commentator, has the correct understanding. It seems terribly Christian.

Briefly, there are references to seasoning, to purifying, to preserving, to fertilizing, and I am sure there are more. In almost every commentary the writer picks one and describes how that is what Jesus meant. I actually kind of like the wide and varied range of interpretations of this verse. And me, being me, will wade into the discussion as well.

There is another reference to salt that comes from the Old Testament that seems to make more sense. At least to me. It also seems more appropriate to the intent of the Sermon on the Mount. That is, we are the salt of the covenant. Of the New Covenant.

In the Ancient Near East, the geography of the Bible, salt was believed to be extremely valuable for sustaining life. In many cultures it was believed to be the vital substance within blood.  Thus, a covenant of salt was a cultural practice in the ancient world that signified an oath or a covenant. Think a blood oath. One party would form a covenant by eating the salt of the other. The party of greater power and authority, God in this case, would provide the salt.

The imagery of the Sermon of the Mount references Moses and his receiving the covenant on Mt. Sinai. I would write that it is obvious imagery, but that reference did not dawn on me for a number of years. (But then again, I can miss the most obvious.) Just as Moses received the Ten Commandments on a mountain, the followers of Jesus were receiving instructions on a mountain.

They were seeing a new covenant being established. They were the salt of the covenant. We are the salt of the covenant.

My Pastor teaches that in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus starts with teaching us that we are valuable. Salt, regardless of what one might think it was used for, was valuable. That is a repeated message throughout all the Gospels. We prodigal children, lost sheep, lost coins. Heaven rejoices as we are brought back into relationship with God. We are loved and valued.

But this is where my idea of us being the salt of the new covenant makes sense. Our value is not only in being brought back into right relationship with God. It is that we, being the salt of the new covenant bring, bring the message of this covenant into the world. We are the testament to God’s love for us. Not just some of us. All of us.

We are living testaments to this new covenant. We let people know that God loves us and desires to be in relationship with him. We. Us with all our foibles and follies. We are witnesses that we do not have to get our act together in order to come to God. As the author of Hebrews states, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

Consider those to whom the Sermon was first preached. As Tim Mackie says, “They were the zeros of their time.” The were those who felt broken and defeated in the world. They were those who longed for righteousness. They were those who grieved the condition of the world and of themselves.

Our confidence does not, cannot, lay with the efforts we make. Trust me, I am probably for fallible that most. Our confidence lays within the love and grace of God. Whatever you understand about Christ’s sacrifice, what is clear is that our path to God is made open by his love.

What does it mean to flourish? What does it mean to live a life that is satisfying, truly satisfying? This is a question that has plagued man for millennia.

What does it mean to be spiritual? What does it take to honour God? Who are we? Why are we here? Again, these are questions that people have struggled to answer ever since we learned to walk upright. Maybe, before.

The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of Jesus’ teachings that has been well crafted by the author. While it may have been arguably Matthew, the Gospel does not identify who is the actual author. It is also may have been a single sermon. For those who believe that Jesus is God, it is not a stretch to believe that he could compose a sermon such as this on-the-fly. It is most likely a collection of his sermons that have been curated into a single address. The sermon itself is well crafted employing rhetoric, a popular strategy in public speeches. The sermon also reflects the wisdom traditions of Second Temple Judaism and Greek philosophies.

More than all this the sermon is an invitation. The sermon invites us into three conversations.

The first is to consider what it is to truly flourish in this life. We translate the Greek “μακάριος” as “Blessed” or “Happy.” Scholar Jonathan Pennington suggest a more accurate translation is “Flourishing.” Thus, the Beatitudes are a recipe for how to flourish in life. Of course, in this consideration, we question what is truly of value in life.

The Second invitation is to consider what it means to be spiritual, or religious. It purposely challenges us as to our motivation and the integrity that we live by. My favourite quote regarding the Sermon on the Mount is by Pinchas Lapide. A Jewish theologian, he states bluntly, “In fact, the history of the impact of the Sermon on the Mount can be largely described in terms of an attempt to domesticate everything in it that is shocking, demanding, and uncompromising and render it harmless.”

The third invitation is for us to return to the original intention of our creation. To participate in the activities of the Trinity. To usher in the Kingdom of God by doing his will on the earth. We were created to bring his presence into the world, we are the salt and light. Whatever you might make of what those might be, we are to make a difference in the world.

To risk being repetitive the verse in Micah speaks most strongly of this approach to life. “To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly.” That is the point of the Sermon on the Mount.

There are three aspects of the Sermon that present themselves to us. The first is the upside-down values of the Kingdom of God. What we value God doesn’t. What God values does not make sense to us. Not in a world that is driven by our procuring the next new shiny thing. The values expressed in the Sermon are of a more lasting nature.

The second value is the inside-out nature of our spirituality. The spirituality, and subsequent morality, we are called to live is not in doing but in being. The sermon recognizes that our actions stem from who we are. It criticizes spirituality that is performative, done for the benefit and admiration of others. Yes, our faith calls for action. However, our focus is on who we are being.

The third value is that in losing ourselves we find ourselves. I don’t have a cliché for this value. It recognizes that it is within our actions towards others that we define ourselves. It provides a road map to live more fully into our “authentic” selves. A life not dedicated to our own satisfaction. In our North American culture, we have stressed the individual above all else. The culture of the Sermon, those to whom it was preached, and the one who preached it valued community.

Throughout the entire Sermon doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly are stressed. This is the invitation that I see within the words of Jesus. It is the invitation that I extend to you.

The world invites us to hate and be angry. We see it in our social media the clearest. What used to be called “click bait” is now “rage farming.” Our culture’s focus on the individual is increasingly toxic. We are more concerned with being right than being loving. We stress how we are being treated over how we treat others. The world offers us a “me first” approach to life. What it offers is the only thing it can offer – competition. Such an approach cannot offer a life that flourishes or satisfies.

The Sermon on the Mount was counter-cultural during its day. It still is.

As Pride Month comes to a close, I have been reflecting on sexuality, faith, and politics.

Pride Month started in 1969 in New York City at the Stonewall Inn. It had been raided by the police for simply being a place where men seeking other men hung out. It was a frequent event. During one such raid, there was resistance and the Pride Movement started. Here is the link.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

The Canadian Pride Movement began February 5, 1981, in a police action called “Operation Soap.”

Here is the link. It is a similar story to the Stonewall Inn.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Soap

The Canadian version began with raids and arrests at bathhouses in Toronto. Understand that I do not condone the idea of “zipless sex” for either heteronormative or LGBTQ+ individuals. That said, it should not be illegal for one group and not the other.

The church has waded into all of this using the denial of rights to others as a rallying cry. I am not having the conversation until we address more weighty matters than what two consenting adults choose to do. Even once we have addressed those weightier matters, my opinion will be disagreeable to many.

Here are the sexual sins I think the church needs to address. And I do mean, NEEDS.

In April of 2018, a man rented a van in Toronto then proceeded to drive down Yonge Street targeting pedestrians. By the time he was finished eleven people lay dead and another 15 injured. He specifically targeted women, killing nine and injuring ten. The man claimed he was exacting revenge for being rejected by woman.

This last month in Montreal a report of “a man with a gun” resulted in the man opening fire on police. One officer was killed, another critically wounded and a bystander was killed. The gunman was shot and killed by the police. The gunman left an extensive manifesto which centred on the same issue, the man’s rejection by women.

In March of this year CNN reported on a website that they labelled a “rape academy.” This site and those associated with it included content detailing how to drug, incapacitate, and sexually abuse (rape) women without detection. Additionally, there were livestreams and forum discussions selling or sharing this content. The site recorded 62 million visits in the month that was reported on. The news story is in the link included below.

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html

This provides the background for what I have to say.

I am tired. Truly, of our culture wars against homosexuality and transgenderism. What makes this particularly frustrating is that on issues that pose greater harm, injury, and risk, we are mute. I have lost count of the sermons I have seen that explain that homosexuality is a sin. I have had them sent to me to try to convince to take a stand against homosexuality. I have yet to hear a sermon that it is a sin to rape a woman. I have yet to hear a sermon stating that it is a sin to pay for the opportunity to sexually assault a child. And I am particularly tired that my fellow men sit in silence as this goes on. Our collective silence is a clear indication that it is all men. In our silence we are complicit. So is the church.

This is one of those issues that if you do not speak up clearly you are condoning this violence against women and children. Yes, I know that men can be, and are, subject to abuse by women. I know several men who have endured abuse. But I have not heard of a woman publicly targeting men because they couldn’t get laid. We have a problem, and we need to speak up.

I have a particular passion for children and young people who are trafficked for the purposes of being sexually assaulted. I am not going to break down the statistics, but it is happening in your community. Personally, I have met a man who was trafficked starting at the age of nine. I worked with a girl that was “turned out” at the age of eleven. These children are not an exception.

The belief that lays behind the two attacks I mentioned, and the website, is that women have but one primary purpose, the sexual gratification of men. Though it is not about sex, it is about power and control. It is about domination. It doesn’t get clearer than in the sexual debasement of children.

So, as we move on from “Pride” month, we as a church have a job to do. If we are serious about being the moral compass for our society, we must begin to address what really constitutes sexual sin. The difficulty with this is men having to address the entitlement they believe they have when it comes to domination and abuse of women and children. Therein lies the challenge.

There are those that hold that my view of the Gospel is not only “overly optimistic” but offers a painless salvation. That it is soft on sin as it does not require either discipline or obedience. I can appreciate those whose view of a life of faith being steeped in obedience. But I am not offering an easier or softer way of life. I am not suggesting a salvation that does not require obedience. In fact I consider that we are called into a way of being that demands more obedience. (Demand might be the wrong word, but more on that later.)

I fully respect those who hold that after our moment of decision, our decision to have Jesus become the Lord of our Life, that we are called into a life where holiness is the pursuit. And while I hold respect for this perspective on our faith, I must admit that I am suspicious of it. Our faith is more than a self-improvement project. I am concerned that in the pursuit of personal holiness faith can become competitive. Far too often I have seen status given to those that seem more pious.

In the first part of Matthew chapter six Jesus warns us about committing our acts of piousness “so that they may be praised by others.” However, the list of this piousness contains three activities. To give alms, to pray, and to fast. Our response to the needs of the world around us is important. Later in the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus is met by a “Rich Young Man.” (Matthew 19:16 – 22) The man is self-reportedly pious. Yet, in their conversation Jesus lays out some heavy demands. At the centre of these demands is caring for the poor.

The truth that I think escapes most of us, is that at the centre of our obedience is the reason we are obedient. I know that truth often escapes me. I far too often do my acts of piousness, perhaps not for the praise of other, but my own sense of arrogance. It seems to be human nature. But I know people whose motivation in living their lives is that they can claim to be more holy than others. Those people often are the biggest dicks in the room.

Paul addresses this at many different times and in many different ways, but I think the clearest is when he admits his own failings. “ I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15) Yes, I know I have ripped that out of context, but we live in a state of being in between. We live in that liminal space between who we have been called to be and who we are being. To be honest, that it is why pursuing personal holiness is a fool’s game. Our righteousness has been given to us through our trust in Christ. Our actions are a response.

To quote Paul again, “And I will show you a still more excellent way.” (Yes, again I know that I am ripping that out of context.) He then writes what is known as the “Love Chapter” – 1 Corinthians 13. A more excellent way is of Love. He is addressing the competitive nature within the Corinthian church, the pursuit of personal holiness. The challenge with love is that there are few hard and fast lines. Love demands, and I think that is a right word, a response to the person, event, or circumstances in front of us. Thus, we are called to be, not so much to do. That is why Micah 6:8 speaks so clearly to me. “To do Justice, and to love Kindness, and to Walk Humbly with God.”

One of my favourite theologians is Kathryn Tanner. I became a fan when she presented at the University of Edinburgh wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket. I was already becoming one as I read her thoughts. She presents a radical idea, “Our lives are for nothing in the sense that we are here to be recipients of God’s good gifts.” (From – Jesus, Humanity, and the Trinity: A brief systematic theology.) We were created and are called to be in relationship with the Trinity. To this end we are reminded, time and again, that our actions are the fruit of who, or what, we make Lord of our life.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is quite clear. “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4) The pursuit that we are called to is to abide in him. We do this through love, “ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” (John 13:34) The command to be loving is seen through all the Gospels. This is not an easier and softer way. In Matthew chapter five, we are told to be “perfect” in our love. (Matt 5:48) This is perfection is not being without flaws, it is being perfect in its completeness. A perfection of inclusion of others, of our enemies, of those who curse us, of those we would rather not.

This is not an easier softer way.

We are created as an act of God. While your belief might be that we are the result of an unguided process of evolution that came a point where we became more than just animals. It is my contention that we are not, you are not, an accident. Further, I believe our intended essence is to be pure, innocent, and good. Regardless of whatever may stand in the way of our living into that essence, our essence is pure, innocent, and good. By pure I mean that our entire beingness is sacred and divine. By innocent I mean that our intentions for the world around us, those who we live in community with, are shaped by love. By good, I mean that actions to those around us are life affirming and sustaining.

The creation story in Genesis describes the creation of people as being made from dust. It is into this figure that God breaths life. The Hebrew word for breath is “Ruah” (רוּחַ). It is also the word for spirit. Thus, the spirit of God lives in all of us. The second chapter of Genesis reflects the idol making rituals of the people of the Ancient Near East. As such, we were created in the image, likeness, of God. We were created for a purpose. We were created to be co-conspirators with God in acts of love, kindness, and creativity. Within scripture whenever God wants to do something, or say something, he most often sends a person.

The truth is that none of us live into this intention well. Scripture tells us that all fall short of the “Glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) Sin is what stands in our way of living into this intention. God does not watch us with a clip board, a checklist, and a penchant to make sure we are not enjoying ourselves. This is not to say that sin is not a real problem. It what keeps us from experiencing who we were meant to be and keeps the world as a place where great evil occurs.

The core of Christianity, my faith, is of course the execution and resurrection of Christ. There is a popular view that God was so mad at his creation, more specifically you, that he needed to kill something. Thus, he sent his only begotten son so that he might be able to unleash his wrath. The difficulty with this is that scripture does not support that view of the crucifixion well. We are told, “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) That is but one example.

Rather, the issue of the cross is shame. It was the purpose of crucifying a person. Yes, it would have been incredibly painful. But the point of crucifixion was the total debasement of the person. Jesus would have been naked on the cross. There would have been no loin cloth. While he would have been “lifted up” he was most likely crucified close to the ground. There were a number of reasons for this, but it is suggested that the purpose was so that he was closer with eye level with those watching the execution.

There is the aspect of sacrifice that occurred on the cross. While I do not want to digress into examining the dynamics of sacrifice, it was us who demanded sacrifice. The essence of the sacrifice of the cross, as I understand it, is that whatever you think you owe God has been paid. It was our demand of sacrifice. A demand made out of our shame. Thus we are able to “approach the throne of grace with confidence.”

The other aspect of the crucifixion is the resurrection. Without the resurrection the crucifixion is rendered meaningless. It becomes a pointless execution of an itinerant rabbi who was causing problems. Yes, the resurrection was the bodily resurrection of Christ. Within the resurrection is the victory over whatever has kept us separated from God, and from being who were meant to be. In the crucifixion we see our choice of violence, hatred and fear over love, compassion, and kindness. The message of the resurrection is that love always triumphs over violence.

The essence of Christianity is that you are valuable. You are valuable enough that not only are you worth dying for, but you are worth the creator of the universe dying for you. The Sermon on the Mount is an invitation to you. The teachings of Jesus are for those who are “weary and are carrying heavy burdens” for he will give you rest. It is an invitation to participate in the activity of God. My spirituality has slowly become, to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God. This is his invitation to you.

One of my favourite NA speakers was a man known as Greg P. from Marietta, Georgia. I had a tape of him delivering a talk at an NA convention. In it he made one of my favourite quotes. “This God nonsense better be for real or I am in trouble.” (I have paraphrased and cleaned up the profanity.) I like the truth of it.

My early recovery depended upon the reality of God. I could do only with God what I could not do on my own. The ability to not use drugs of any kind was highly unlikely. I had spent about eighteen months trying my best to get clean. I might get a few weeks in, but eventually I would use again. My spirituality had the desperateness and intensity of saving my life.

Those first years had me performing a daily ritual. I would start with two decisions. The first, would I choose to live? Actually, the decision was would I kill myself? The second was whether or not I would use drugs. Everyday those decisions were that I would choose life and choose not to use. I would then say the serenity prayer and ask God to help me stay clean for that day, and that day only.

That process continued on for years. Eventually the daily decisions were most taken for granted and made before I woke up. Though suicide always seemed to be an option. Most, if not all, drug addicts I know have the same struggle. The truth about addiction is that it is life eroding. Often the prayers would come later in the day, often though the prayers would be made over my morning cup of coffee.

There was a reality to the idea that, “This God nonsense better be for real or I am in deep trouble.” Spirituality was not abstract. Salvation was not some event in the distant future. There were a concreteness and immediacy of spirituality. I was not seeking to be a better person; I was seeking to stay alive. Those of us who have walked this road know the richness of life that spirituality can offer. For to stay clean leads to changes in who we are as people.

Our of the starkness of this spirituality grew a magnificent experience. When one comes to terms as to the fundamental nature of the fragility of life a remarkable perspective comes into focus. There grows a deep and meaningful appreciation and gratitude for our experience. Sunrises and sunsets take on an emotional grandeur. Exchanges between friends become more appreciated. Receiving acts of kindness can be overwhelming. Acts of generosity occur naturally. The list is actually endless.

If this process is allowed to develop unhindered, we see a growth of the fruits of the spirit. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” I have seen this countless times. People become kindler, gentler, more patient, less prone to fits of rage. These qualities become what we strive to develop within our daily lives.

Those early days are distant now. This year it will be forty-three years since I cleaned up. There was a stretch when life and spirituality were not so desperate. A number of years ago there was a shift. But recently, health issues related to a distance abuse of drugs and assorted mayhem started to catch up with me. Those issues were aided and abetted by a lifestyle that sought out stress.

One of the hardest aspects of my life these days is how vulnerable I feel. To be honest, I hate it. There is no immediate danger. Yet, fragile is how I feel. And in this fragility, I am back to the idea that “This God nonsense better be for real or I am in deep trouble.”

Yet the deeper truth is that we are all vulnerable. Years ago a dear friend of mine contracted an infection in his leg. It began with him feeling “not quite right.” Eventually it led to his hospitalization. In the course of the infection he risked losing his leg or dying. He learned the truth of “This God nonsense better be for real or I am in deep trouble.” I have seen a deepening of his faith, his trust in God, a shift in how he values the world and his experience within it.

I have not posted for a few weeks as I have been mulling this over. Once again, I have become painfully aware of how vulnerable and fragile life can be. I offer this for no other reason than as an invitation to you. The idea of dependence, especially in what some think of as an imaginary friend, is held in contempt. Yet, there is beauty and grace as we come to understand that such dependency is required. Along with the undercurrent of anxiety comes an appreciation of what each day does bring. As we open our live to God, and to others, there is great meaning to be found. And great enjoyment.

I invite you to pause and realize how vulnerable you life truly is. I invite you to look at the world as being a finite experience with each being more valuable by its limited nature. This is hard stance to hold in life, but it is well worth the effort.

Thank you for reading.

I take a slight departure from the Sermon with this post. The verse today is the teaching of John the Baptist.

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

Luke 3.12 & 13

I think we all do it. When I read scripture, particularly the Gospel accounts, I read myself into the story. I usually resonate with Peter. I am impulsive, can be grumpy, and I think he was as foul-mouthed as I am. (Then again, I might be reading too much into the stories.) As I wrote, I think we all read ourselves into the story.

But the truth is that most of the people in the Gospels were average. The bulk of the people in the Acts of the Apostles were just like you and me. They lived ordinary lives, going to work, coming home, playing with the kids, and getting by day by day. Their struggle was our struggle. It begins with how do we fit the “God” thing into our lives. Slowly, over time we learn how to fit our lives into the “God” thing.

I have a friend and an occasional lunch partner who has lived an extraordinary life. He is well accomplished in his chosen career. He is actually internationally recognized. If you were to meet him, you would think that he is just an average shmuck. He doesn’t wear his list of accomplishments on his sleeve like some people I have experienced. His life has been his ministry.

But it is his father that has my attention. He was the parts-man for a car dealership in his city. He married, had four kids, and settled into the expected success of the day. He owned his own house, was able to support his wife and kids. There was nothing exceptional about the man, except one notable aspect. He was a good man. He loved the Lord and saw that his faith called for him to be good and kind to people. I have met him, he is good and kind.

It is easy for us to expect the unachievable in living out our faith. So much of the Bible is hyperbolic and we often think that no compromise is the way of faith. Yet. Look at the examples that are set for us. The apostles were a motley crew. Fishermen, a tax collector, and other indistinct characters. One of the criticisms of the Gospels is that they could not have been written by such men. That is with the exception of Luke. These were not extraordinary men. (That there were women who were apostles is another conversation.)

In the beatitudes Jesus describes people that are not heroes. The list of qualities seems opposite to those required for success. The poor in spirit, the meek, those who are merciful. Yet, these were the people that Jesus describes as being the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” It is in our commonness that we are exceptional.

The perfection that is referred to in the Sermon is not what we think it is. It is a completeness. It is a perfection that finds our faith permeating our entire life. It is an attitude that allows us to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God where ever we are.

Drawing from my experience in twelve-step fellowships, it is progress not perfection. I will always be fallible.  It is learning how to “practice these principles in all my affairs.” So whoever you are, realize that you are still the image of God. You carry his presence into the world. Maybe it is our imperfection in doing so which makes it meaningful. Maybe you are the expression of God someone needs today.

Much Love

In the Book of Acts when Paul and Silas are asked by their jailor what he must do to be saved the answer is simple. They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31 Though the translation consistently reads “believe” trust seems to be a better fit.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul seems to clarify this sentiment. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 To reference the Greek text, “confess” is more akin to declaring allegiance. Think of the term “Confession of Faith.”

In Romans, he goes on to clarify even further. “For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation.” Romans 10:10 To trust with the heart, is to have faith as described in the letter to the Hebrews. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Our pluralistic society which stresses rationality above all else has relegated faith to simple being a set of ideas. In our efforts to reduce life to that which can be quantified and measured, spirituality is simply a matter of neuro pathways. One can believe, but one needs to attend to the realities of life.

Spiritual principles are good to live one’s life by as long as one doesn’t go to extremes. These principles serve an evolutionary need. Society simply works better if altruistic values as espoused.

Trust is deeper than faith. Trust is taking that step onto a bridge that you have faith that it will hold your weight. This is the idea behind James writing, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17) If what we believe does not change how we live do we really believe it?

To be Christian is a personal matter. Yes, our expression of faith should make a visible difference in our lives. It is still a personal matter as to how our faith gets worked out in our lives. A good friend of mine seeks personal purity. He seeks to be in the world and not of the world. He eschews much of modern media and entertainment, so that he might contemplate “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable.”

A friend of a friend has seen the call of faith to meet Christ in those who we consider the least. He has dedicated himself to feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless. He cares passionately about the marginalized and disenfranchised. He swears like a trucker and smokes like a chimney. (Why is it that swearing is always associated with truckers?)

Meanwhile, I live out the Lutheran sentiment of “sin boldly.” I also swear like a trucker, or perhaps fisherman. My mission in life is to lead people into relationship with God. There are some who have told me that I have opened the door to faith for them. This blog is part of that mission.

I have done my time providing service and advocacy for various people. These days I am content to study biblical languages; so far only Greek, next year I start Hebrew. While I might have retired, I am not yet done living in service.

We all have our mission, our “mission dei.” Each of us were created to bring the presence of God into our lives and the lives of people around us. How you live out your faith, your trust, is through the leading of the Holy Spirit. And, we are not meant to live identical lives. For some I would be an irritant, for others I am an inspiration. This is the idea behind Paul writing. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Cor 12:27) And,  ^“For the body does not consist of one member but of many.” (1 Cor 12:14)

So be bold and be confident in who you are to the world. For you can be salt and light to those I cannot.

This will let you know how long this has been in the planning.

As I sit and start to plan this blog, there is a walk for peace happening in the country to my immediate south. A group of Buddhist monks are walking from their monastery in Fort Worth Texas to Washington DC. Everywhere they go thousands of people come out to greet them. Millions, if not billions, of people worldwide are watching this proceed. I love that they have a dog! A rescue dog! Aloka is a stray dog from India.

The question that I have, for myself and other Christians, is “Why is that not us?” Seriously! Why are Christians not doing a walk for peace? For me it is a profound failure of our claim to follow Christ that we are not doing so ourselves. This is not about competition with the Buddhists. It is an observance that our faith often does not make it out the church doors.

The love and respect and dignity for humanity that these monks are portraying are the heart of Christianity. Consider, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7.12 Or consider “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13.10 As a Christian, I am to be defined by my love for others.

So many Christians these days seem angry. It is as though we intrinsically know that we have lost with the “Culture Wars.” Yet, we are not able to articulate how or why we have lost. We don’t even know what we have lost. We have been so busy shaking our bibles as the inerrant word of God yelling at other people that they are wrong. We have lost the essence of what it means to be Christian.

We have decried homosexuality and transgenderism and any sexuality that is not heteronormative. We have protested abortion. We have struggled to maintain the sanctity of marriage. We have done this to “win” the culture wars. We have not done this out of love or respect. We have not held the other person in dignity. We have done this to be right. We have made political movements out of our causes. And we have lost our faith.

I have contended for a long time that the world does not need to know it is sinful. Most of us know intimately the times we have failed to be a decent human being. The world needs to know it is loved. You need to know you are loved. That you are valuable and desired. You need to know that your essence is good and pure and innocent. You might not live in that truth, but it is your intended essence.

I am reminded of Paul’s words. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” We have forgot to love. Our message to the world has not been one of love. We need to change.

I am not into copying the actions of others. That is to say that I am not proposing a “peace walk.” I am suggesting that we begin to walk humbly. I am suggesting that we let whoever is in front of us know that they are loved and that they are valued.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us that we must be complete in our love. (Matt 5:48) The perfection he talks of is about completion. It is about inclusion. We are defined by our love. If we love only those who love us, how does that distinguish us? If we greet only those who are our friends, what is different about us? The world tells us, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” He tells us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who malign you.” (Matt 5:43 & 44 paraphrased)

Where do we, where do I, begin. The first is to experience the love of God. When I read the parables of Jesus, I am reminded repeatedly how valued you and I are. The other first step is to love those who are in front of us. The love of God is relational. It is experienced in our interactions with other people.

We can, and often do, experience the love of God on our own in prayer. Yet, it is within the context of relationships that we experience the profound love of God in the most profound ways. What I am writing about is the divine conspiracy of love. The love of God can only truly be experienced by participating within it. We begin with where we stand. The first step is to realize that we are loved and are meant to love in response.

While a walk for peace is commendable. The true miracle is the love that these monks have for the world around them. What is profound is that after this is all over, when the publicity subsides, they will continue to walk in love. In that, we should emulate them. The walk for peace may appear to be a single event, but it is actually a daily occurrence.

Walk in love. Greet the stranger. Help others when we can. Comfort the down hearted. Be with the grieved. Walk in love. God will walk with you.