Outraged and offended

Iwork very hard at staying away from what we used to call drama. I like simple things and I like things in working order. The trouble is that’s not real life.

This old, t ired, too often, too cynical pastor struggles in the brokenness of life. I hate the bigotry of our culture. I hate that we bully others that are different from us. I hate the dysfunction that surrounds us. Duh, it’s why I’m so cynical.

A friend of mine told me about a friend of his who said if they had a Sunday School class at his church that was called The Outraged and Offended that it would be the biggest class in his church.

Being ticked off has become trendy and I am ready for the trend to be over. It’s really entitlement. We have become enamored with the sense that our opinion really matters. I think they also call this narcissism.

Another friend of mine recently reminded me of a quote by Lutheran theologian C. F. Walther, “While it is indeed necessary to preach against gross vices - such preaching produces nothing but Pharisees (self-righteous, angry, religious people).”

It’s hard for me to say this because it is what I do but I think we have preached too much and loved too little.

Back to me because, after all, it is all about me. About the time I’m done and ready to give up and go live in the monastery as a monk I hear the sound of soft-sandaled feet and the voice of the Rabbi. He reminds me that I’m broken too and that I’m way too self-righteous. I can be like Peter, “It’s not me Lord, it’s them.” By the time I get done reminding God how great I am I hear the rooster crowing.

I’ve never read the book The Velveteen Rabbit, but I understand it’s about a stuffed toy rabbit that becomes real as the little boy who owns it, loves it.

It’s through the brokenness, my own and yours that we struggle. But it is also through the brokenness that God loves us into reality. The reality is we can’t do this on our own, we need Jesus.

The Apostle Paul captured the idea of who will be empowered and encouraged in the darker days. He wrote, in 2nd Corinthians 12:11, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

Do you ever find yourself clenching your teeth or realize your whole body is tensed up? They say a clenched fist can’t receive anything. It is through my weakness that I get to a place where I open up that clenched fist and say, “Help.” That’s when Strength comes running.

He told me to tell you that.