Faith sometimes makes us look crazy. Imagine what people said about Noah as he was building the ark. Abraham and Sarah left everything to go search for an unknown promised land then had a baby when most people their age were on their death beds. Moses left a life of comfort and royalty because he cared too much for his own people. Jesus himself said he’d raise the temple in three days. From the eyes of others, people of faith in the Bible were full of nonsense, foolishness and addicted to crazy pills.
If faith leads us to look crazy why then does the Church today look so normal? I believe the inclination to conform to logical reasoning and appease seekers has quenched the Spirit in many local churches. There’s no room left for the mustard seed sized transformational, miraculous, inspiring, Earth shaking faith that Jesus calls us to live out. In my opinion I believe that we’ve put our faith in what this present life can gain us and forgot that this is not our permanent home.
Most of my time in Romania will be working with the gypsy people group. There are several definitions that describe what it means to be a gypsy but I like this one: “one inclined to live a nomadic, unconventional way of life.” These people don’t have a place to call home and are considered strangers in their own country. They are discriminated against and patronized because of their lifestyle. If this is what it means to be a gypsy then we as Christians should all strive to be referred to as a gypsy.
Our home is not here. We are only strangers and aliens on this Earth. This is what Hebrews 11:13 states for those that have faith in God. When our hope is placed in something bigger, better and heavenly we see our time on this Earth as just us passing through to get to where we need to go. God has prepared a city for anyone willing to wander the Earth faithfully. I’ll be able to teach this people group English, assist in construction, feed those that are hungry and preach the Gospel. I think I’ll learn more however about how to live a better life of faith, even if it means living out a kind of gypsy faith that makes me look somewhat crazy.
