Let me set the scene for you, I am in a small cafe tucked away down an alley street in Thamel, Nepal. Hundreds I’m sure pass by it without a second thought, its a non-for-profit place with all the proceeds going back to their street kids project called Our Sansar. The funny thing is, I feel more like I’m back in America here than anywhere else. They have created a cafe that would thrive in Boulder, Nashville, Austin, or any of the “hip” places these days. Playing music that ranges from jazz to folk, wooden tables, low hanging lights, and candles made from old wine bottles. Yes, I would take any of you here to gather around the table and talk for hours!
While I love finding places like this, over the past five months of traveling my heart has continued to be broken for the world around me and the influence of western society is having. Not all bad, but also not all good. I think since the last time I was out on the field there was more of a simple living style, there wasn’t such a need to “fit in” with the “cool kids” or to have the latest and greatest technology, but it was to just live. While I think there is beauty in modernity, just with everything there is also a curse.
Maybe most of this is because I have been to a lot more of the tourist cities in which we have been to. Seeing much more western influence, than previous times I have been on the field. I’m going to be honest with you…I don’t like it, the materialism, the over consumerism, none of it satisfies. While yes, do I enjoy getting a little taste of home, sure, however I’m “over it” by the second day. Because, there is so much lost, rich heritage, beautiful traditions, authenticity and the people traveling to these places whom are trying to “escape” home just find themselves back there…maybe this is my anthropology view point coming out…but then as I reflect I hear the gentle whisper “don’t miss it…Church don’t miss it…”
My mind goes to the rich young ruler when comes to Jesus and asked “Good teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?” And Jesus says, “Sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and come follow me.” The young man though decides to walk away from Jesus and he misses it. Just as we, the western church, have missed it.
The IT that we have missed was never about the commandments, because Jesus says there’s one more thing, and that one thing, isn’t one of the commandments with rules for your hands. It was never about what our hands did or didn’t do, it was about the surrender of our hearts, our hands, our treasures, our righteousness…everything.
If the young ruler would’ve followed after this rabbi who compelled him so greatly that he took off running towards Him, this young man would’ve seen that Jesus was about to pay for all of his sins with His precious blood. Our hands could never earn that from striving after the commandments, from pretending we are perfect when we know deep down, that we are far from it.
Sadly, we have made sure that our faith is safe and comfortable, rather than risky and worth being brave for. Because when I reflect and look at our living I think we have missed Him.
If only we would fall to our knees in the rocks and the dirt on the road that leads us to our “Jerusalem”, falling in loving and extravagant and passionate and humble surrender. And yet, are we willing? Are we willing to live a life passionately, simply, and extravagantly for Him? When I say extravagantly I don’t mean with all the bells and whistles, I truly mean in awe and wonder of who He is!
Because are we within the American church fooling ourselves? I’m asking because I’ve been convicted of this and throughout the past five months God most certainly has been pruning me.
In America, we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world. We represent only about 5 percent of the world’s population, yet we consume 40 percent of its resources. “We’re demonically possessed by materialism and hyper-consumption. It’s true in the wealthiest sectors of almost every other country as well. Unfortunately, Christians are as caught up in the system as everyone else”*…and it’s only getting worse.
Why should anyone take the gospel seriously as long as we continue to serve two masters? A faith that doesn’t speak out against the sick assumptions of its culture is really no faith at all; it’s just religion. What if we started by repenting of our materialism and living more simply? I think we’d change the world in a heartbeat. What if all the things that we have physically stored up is really a metaphor for our not-so-maturing soul—so filled with junk that it has no room for God?
“There is a law in physics that applies to the soul. No two objects can occupy the same space at the same time; one thing must displace another. If your heart’s crammed tight with material things and a thirst for wealth, there’s no space left for God.”* At the end of the day, are we all willing to sell all that we have, give it to the poor and follow Jesus? Are we willing to say that “You Jesus are enough, and truly get to occupy my full heart?”
Now, God has blessed us all with beautiful things, resources, treasures, however have they started to occupy our hearts more than Him? Have our desires, our dreams, our hopes, begun to occupy more of our heart than Him? Because, if He truly is enough in our lives, than are we truly willing to “sell it all, give it to the poor and follow Him?” If Jesus were to ask you to give it all up for Him, would you, or would you walk away and miss Him?
*From the book Chasing Francis by Ian Morgan Cron
