Inspired and Challenged

Thanks to new mom for recommending Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald. That's not the name agent B uses for her, but I'm being lazy and not double checking. She knows who she is ;) Anyways, the book is so right on! It's a novel and the only rough part is that most of the dialogue is written in scottish brogue. The book is about 400 pages long and it took me until half way through to start really getting the hang of it. This novel is about a kid who is extremely selfless and giving, but doesn't talk. His mere presence exposes the heartlessness of others and the hypocrisy of the religious. He has a giving, loving heart that seeks the best of others as he tries to live like Jesus. It exposes people's attitudes towards others who seem more simple minded, and of the poor and the homeless. One of the most powerful parts to me was how the author constantly described people acting how our society would consider normal or business savvy and calling their love of money idolatry- which it was. Sir Gibbie could and did live off of nothing and was totally happy and continued to look out for others rather than his own needs. It made the call of Christ to love seem so simple... just living each day in the faith that the CEO will care for our needs and seeking His ways and loving others. I am seeing more and more how our riches are what make things complicated. The more I have, the more I need to take care of it, the harder it is to be mobile and the more there is to "protect"- not that that should be our attitude, but sometimes that is what happens in my heart. Anyways, I highly recommend the book.

We are also being challenged by the movie: Frisbee, about a hippie who was used powerfully by God and abused by the church. He was instrumental in the Jesus movement of the 1970s, in the formation of the Calvary Chapel church and the Vineyard churches, but is hardly known since he was pretty much written out of their histories- the reason being that he died of AIDS, having contracted it through homosexual relations while in ministry. He died shunned and rejected by many of his closest mentors and coworkers. Again, this video was powerful in that it shows how the church is (sometimes) willing to reach out to drug users and sexually promiscuous people, but has such a strong stance against homosexuals that there is no room for them to find healing, understanding or the love of Christ.

Another sad part of the documentary was how it showed the church so focussed on the masses that it misses the person. We know the Shepard is the opposite. He leaves the 99 to go for the 1. I need to learn that. How often was I disappointed that ONLY one came to the club this summer instead of being thankful to have such quality time with her.

Have you seen the video? How did you feel about it and about the issues it raises?

I was most humbled by Lonnie Frisbee's deep longing and passion for the Lover. He did crazy things out of simple love. Reminds me of King David. I think we have been generally horrid to leaders when they fail and yet the Bible is full of leaders with faults- murderers, adulterers, incestuous people- and how God loves, calls and redeems them over and over and over again. That gives me lots of hope.