12.24.08

"He is no fool to lose

what he cannot not keep

to gain what he cannot lose."

-Jim Elliot

Read 2 Corinthians 12:15

This grinds against my cultural idea of what love is.

Living on a ship for a year, surrounded by cultures entirely different to my own, has made me realize how much of my belief system is cultural. I see how the concept of "security," paints our beliefs on rationality, responsibility, value, and even love, affecting our Christianity and coaxing us to embrace the idea of entitlement.

I have grown up hearing, "Treat others as you would like to be treated," understanding, the underlying tone of, "Treat others as you would like to be treated, as long as they treat you the same way back." We are very easily offended, and indignation often ensues after we have been hurt or mistreated in small, silly daily things. We like sulking and whining, as a penance of personal injustice. We wait to be asked for forgiveness, before forgiving, because we have the right to a proper apology. But, if we subscribe the idea of love as in the above verse, we lose our personal rights, willingly placing ourselves in a vulnerable position. We embrace the painful side of love.

I think about what Christ did when He died on the cross. He left the throne of God, and clothed Himself in mortality. He made Himself completely vulnerable, hanging exposed and naked before His heavenly Father, earthly family, the hosts of angels and demons, and the physical world, to demonstrate His love to a world He foreknew would despise and reject Him. And He didn't want to die on the cross. We see Him sweating blood, as be begged God the Father, "To let this cup pass," the evening of His betrayal. But, because of His love for His Father and us, He surrendered saying, "But not My will, but Yours be done."

There was no entitlement in His love. There were no boundaries. There was not a box you could place it into. It was not reasonable and definitely not rational.

It was extravagant.

It was completely vulnerable and it inflicted great pain upon the Giver.

And yet…. He still gave it, and in His giving left us an example.

I claim to know nothing of possessing this kind of love, but as I ponder the future, I don't think I can whole heartedly pursue both earthly security and learning this kind of love. The dilemma arises of choosing which master to serve.

The only way to learn this love is to know it; and in knowing it we find the Rock of Ages which provides the stability, and security no earthly anything could ever provide. I suppose it might lead to a rather "irrational" sort of life, but then again, the "wisdom of man is foolishness to Christ."

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