Christianity Untried

With so many witnesses in a great cloud all around us, we too, then, should throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which lies ahead of us. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which lay ahead of him, he endured the cross, disregarding the shame of it, and has taken his seat at the right of God's throne. Think of the way he persevered against such opposition from sinners and then you will not loose heart and come to grief. In the fight against sin, you have not yet had to keep fighting to the point of bloodshed. Hebrews 12, New Jerusalem Bible

The cloud of witnesses keeps me company when it seems I don't fit anywhere else. Our uniqueness is no doubt a gift, but also weighs heavy on the soul that seeks for union. We search for like minds and long for understanding. Sometimes we find it and sometimes our longing for social inclusion is a misplaced desire for understanding, compassion and grace that only God can provide.Most of us have not yet fought to the point of

bloodshed in this race. I know I start to reconsider when things get tough, who knows how long I would persevere in the face of bloodshed.

I have heard several times over the past year; “You can discuss that over a bottle of wine at seminary”. I've looked forward to these conversations. This past week I had my first bottle wine with my fellow seminarians. All I could say after the evening of discussion was: Do we read the same gospel? Do we follow the same Christ? What do you mean Jesus wasn’t a radical? “I am not trying to be Christ, honey!” a fellow first year seminarian snapped at me mid sentence. The conversation continued between the others present explaining how Jesus Christ was not at all radical...They explained to me how once I have children, I will also need a SUV, there is no choice really....I mentioned bicycling and critical mass and someone went on to describe a biker who hit his car three years ago and how awful bikers are...One man asked me to explain myself and as though I had not already contributed to the conversation and as though I owed it to the room. As I went on describing parts of my life he would interrupt and challenge, or ask if I had read this encyclical or this book. I was like ‘no, I spent the last four years living with the homeless. I was busy living this stuff out” – which of course is an oversimplification, prideful and a desperate attempt to prove myself, but I struggle to identify in the midst of a conversation what is actually happening, and in this case his challenges put me on the defensive. One woman looked at me and said that I gave her a "strong sense" of the lady who gave her last two coins as an offering.

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins."I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. Luke 21.

The next evening I attended an interesting session at the Monkey Wrench Info Shop on the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) under which many political activists are being arrested. This act has expanded the definition of a terrorist and is being argued unconstitutional as it targets a specific area of free speech (animal enterprise- basically anything protecting the environment). If you want to learn more about those arrested, the impact of AETA or environmental activism check out www.greenisthenewred.com

I often need to read the following 'easy essay' by Peter Maurin to echo the perceived dissonance between my political awareness and commitment and solid grounding and vocation in the Episcopal Church;

Christianity Untried

Chesterton says:
"The Christian ideal
has not been tried
and found wanting.
It has been found difficult
and left untried."
Christianity has not been tried
because people thought
it was impractical.
And men have tried everything
except Christianity.
And everything
that men have tried
has failed.