Lent Devotional 11

At the Heart of Christianity is Jesus. Just like at the Heart of Christianity are our Faith, The Bible, and God. And if the truth be known neither Faith, The Bible, God, or Jesus can be seen independent of the other. For me I have to be careful not to think of God and Jesus as interchangeable parts of the same thing. 

The way I do that is to remember the early Church’s faith statement that Jesus was “fully human and fully divine”. For me this is not a logical statement, but a statement of faith.

In Borg’s book he uses 5 phrases to describe the human Jesus. He calls Jesus a Jewish mystic, a healer, a wisdom teacher, a social prophet, and a movement initiator. I think each of these are accurate Gospel descriptions of Jesus and each of them has had special meaning for me at different times in my life.

As a college student at FSC and as a camp counselor at the Methodist Youth Camp in Leesburg many of the assumptions I had about life were challenged. I was exposed to men and women who were religious people and practiced their faith in their relationships with other people. During those years I was exposed to faith perspective on the social turmoil of the 1960s and my world view changed. I saw Jesus as a social prophet and movement initiator.

In September of 1973 I went to seminary. I now know I went because I wanted to experience and be involved in ministry within Atlanta’s Inner City. I got a Part time position at Trinity UMC and as a part of the salary package… or lack there of… I was able to live in the abandoned parsonage of St Lukes UMC in Cabbagetown. I will never forget my first night in that house. It was hot and all the windows were open. I had no bed so I stretched out on an old couch in the living room. As I tried to sleep the police sirens were screaming. Gunshots were fired and I began to have my doubts about this adventure I had embarked upon. I did not sleep much that night.

When the sun finally rose I took my dog Jethro for a walk. From a small front yard garden of the run down house across the street the voice Mrs. Jackson asked me “Are you the new preacher kid?” I know I did not see myself as “the new preacher kid” but I was glad to talk with another human being. A friendship began and life began to look up.

Here are some of the important life lessons I learned from her.

1. She could grow mustard greens in her garden and she could make them edible. I could not.
2. The pecan tree in my front yard was ours not mine.
3. She watched out for me and I was to watch out for her. She needed help… I helped her. I needed help… she helped me. Our gifts were different and that was a good thing.
4. Cabbagetown was a rough place for both of us, so be careful.
5. I might not change Cabbagetown, but it would change me.

Three years later I left Cabbagetown as a “young preacher”. For many years after my leaving Jane and I slept on blue cotton sheets that cost her more than she could afford, but were her sacrificial wedding gift to us. I returned home with memories and a deeper relationship with God because she and others included me in their faith journey and chose me as a friend. They opened and shared their world and lives with me. I had learned that Jesus was a social prophet but he is so much more.

As I continue to read about Jesus the man I am so thankful that his world is open to me and can still change me. I pray that the same continues to happen for you.

Have a great day and

SHALOM,

Tom Mc