I was reading the book,
Jesus of Surburbia, by Mike Erre (ironic name) the other day at work and he gave a tremendously powerful illustration of people today. He had taken his son an hour and a half to see the animals at a famous zoo, but the son was taken in by the gift shop at the front of the zoogrounds. He did not even want to go into the zoo to experience the real animals, instead he was content with the plush ones in the gift shop.
“Our passions are not too strong, they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased.” This quote by C.S. Lewis is all too familiar to the people of this world. We are content to sit around and play with the plush Jesus rather than leave the comfort and find the real Jesus in the wild. I am not saying that we must all leave our homes to go out into the world, although some are called to this. Rather I am saying that Jesus of the New Testament demands a lot and are we ready to look at that and smile at the mystery and wonder and obey it, or turn away because it is too strong or hard. We have all turned away at some point, unwilling or seemingly unable to obey and yet what a fascinating idea that He stills seeks us. I have left as an arrogant child, sure that my way was what I sought, and have returned as the prodigal son, humbled and broken, but assured by a father’s love.
I guess I needed to share my heartache for those in the world. It seems that I attack the stagnant church so much, because I feel like that is where I reside most of the time. I am too tired and too caught up in my own world to want to change at times. But I struggle and press on, determined that His work in me is not yet complete. May we move from out of the gift shop and stop petting the pocket-size Jesus that fits comfortably into our expectations, and instead see the real Jesus in terrifying and mesmorizing splendor. I want to get too close. I want to feel the danger. I want to feel the claws of the Lion of Judah pulling away the dead skin to reveal the new man inside. I don’t know. Maybe that was too graphic. I sure hope so.
