Opposite Extremism

Many people have a fear of becoming like one of their parents if they possess toxic traits. Some may even make a deliberate effort to do the exact opposite of their parent's patterns. However, I have learned that the greatest wrongs are seldom a perfect 180 degrees from the truth. That is how they disguise themselves as seeming true after all. So if said behavior is only 90 degrees off the mark, we will be just as far from the right path as we were before doing a 180, just an opposite extreme form of it. Sometimes the church falls into these patterns as well, so any extreme is often just as much of an incomplete truth as the opposite extreme. Overcompensating one detail will never replace the absence of another. No matter how much more important we may think it is. That is sort of like saying the back wheel of a motorcycle is more important than the front one. Without both, you’re going nowhere.

““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” -Matthew 23:23

A good example is the environmental issue. With so many taking the issue to neo-pagan extremes by treating the earth like a goddess. It has led many in the church to go to the opposite extreme and treat the earth with utter contempt. Instead of the more balanced idea of being good stewards of all that God had given us. (Deuteronomy 26:1-15, 1st Corinthians 10:24-26)

An example that hits closer to home is the obedience vs love debate. Many insist that the ultimate goal in Christianity is righteousness and discipline. Yet when you emphasize it to the point of neglecting love, all you can really do is define it, and then criticize people when they fail. This discourages more people than it saves for the simple fact that any submission to bullying ultimately lacks sincerity. (Matthew 15:7-9) A broken person naturally struggles with discipline, but it's love not definitions, that repairs the foundation that enables obedience. 

This extremism has only inspired some to overemphasize love in response. It also has led people to redefine love as acceptance, approval, and validation. On the surface, it may seem like a good thing, but on closer examination, it falls apart. If a child tries to stick a paper clip in an outlet. Is it the parent who accepts this, or the one who doesn’t that’s the more loving one? If someone wants to try cocaine for the first time. Is it the one who approves or disapproves that is the more loving? If someone wants to make a hasty life-altering decision. Is it the one who validates without question that’s the more loving one? Or is the one who says let’s talk about and examine this more closely first? In the end, love without any discipline only becomes permissive of self-destructive behavior.

Self-indulgence tends to set off the legalists who often just resort to mockery of the lost. Leading the other side to fight mockery with their own mockery of their systematic ways. Yet both sides seem blissfully unaware of what the Bible says about this practice. Psychology even confirms just how ineffective this tactic is. They call it The Framing Effect. The idea is that information is often gauged more by how it is presented, instead of the validity of facts. Yet the Bible has told us all along, that truth is not a free pass to be impatient, unkind, and rude. (Galatians 6:1) Ultimately every dimension of truth must be upheld, or it’s only a half-truth, and a half-truth can be just as destructive as an outright lie.

I dare say much of this extremism comes back to comfort. We emphasize the parts we are comfortable with and feel confident in. Yet neglect the parts we dislike or struggle to understand. This is not how you grow, or engage discipleship. So I urge you to stop and take a long hard look at yourself and your actions. Then ask the LORD where you may be neglecting his complete truth.

The Visual PARABLEist

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, -Psalm 1:1

The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame. -Proverbs 3:33-35

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. -Proverbs 9:7-8

Religion VS Relationship

You have probably heard this counterpoint before. Instagram in particular is full of posts touting that it’s about relationship, not religion. These posts inevitably get bombarded with negative comments from legalists as well. Yet if we go back to the origins of the word, religion literally meant reconnect or to bind. So the concepts are not nearly as mutually exclusive as we are assuming. So it’s kind of a pointless argument that the uninformed engage in. One thing I think the legalists fail to understand is that holiness is not simply a do as God says or be destroyed standard. Rather a follow to better understand God standard. Holiness is the personification of his very character and nature after all. A relationship starts there. When we don't acknowledge this detail, the gospel often becomes devoid of good news.

The real question is, why are so many trying to redefine religion into a cold systemic checklist that doesn’t value sincerity in practice? More importantly, why can’t they see that they are repeating the same mistakes as the Pharisees did as a result? (Matthew 23)

Human Nature likes things cut and dry
This mortal tendency to systemize may seem innocuous enough, but did not God say in Isaiah 55:8 “Your ways are not my ways.” So isn’t this ritualization of religion just humanity trying to interject his lower ways into it? This formulation of religion has had many negative trickle-down effects. Since sin is merely a definition now, and not a symptom of our own brokenness. We merely judge by mere appearances. (John 7:24) Since we are judging by mere appearances we have turned repentance into a surface whitewash. Since we think repentance is but an external manifestation, we never examine our own hearts and motives, let alone others. (Matthew 7:1-6) Since we are leaving our hearts untransformed, we have nothing to offer the lost and brokenhearted, other than how to fake it for the sake of human approval and acceptance. But if we understood any of that we may actually feel compelled to get involved with and care for the lost, not just correct them. Of course, Biblical love like this is challenging and messy, who wants that? This is what people think of when we say religion anymore, but it’s not true religion, but a mere platitude. It’s a counterfeit that serves man’s comfort and convenience rather than honoring God’s will of do unto the least of these. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Keeping God at a distance
There are a few instances in scripture when a mere mortal finds himself in the literal pressure of God. Only to be overwhelmed by awe, fear, and utter humility. Isaiah 6 is but one example. Let’s face it, all our pretenses of religion and surface righteousness would just crumble to dust in the presence of the living God. Yet if we keep God at a distance, and don’t actually reconnect or bind ourselves to him in a relational way. Or allow him to burn us clean as God did for Isaiah. All our illusions, hollow traditions, and humanized religion remain unchallenged. Just the way the prideful who only wash the outside of the cup like to keep it.

The Bible is a very poetic love letter to his children. Yet in our lowly structured ways we have cut the very heart out of it to better suit what we think religion should be. Yet we kid ourselves into thinking this disrespect actually pleases God.

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” -James 1:26-27
The average legalist typically only values one of these three points ironically enough.

The Visual PARABLEist

2 Corinthians 3:13-18, Luke 6:39

Validation?

It seems that the word “validation” has become all the rage these days. Social media is full of relationship and mental health gurus preaching the virtues of it. Yet with so many thinking we need to validate absolutely everything, except those who refuse to validate everything ironically enough, many argue we are just kidding ourselves. Not to mention the manipulative people exploiting said needs. Yet how should the Christian view this concept? It’s really not as cut and dry as you may think. In a way, grace and salvation are such validations that everyone who shows up gets the proverbial blue ribbon, regardless of merit. But, also just like in real life, some are content with that initial glory and call it good enough. Where others continue to increase their knowledge, understanding, and skills to obtain more and better glories. Just as many in the church do not understand this concept of ever-increasing glory, many in the secular don’t get how patronizing validation can become when they are based purely on shallow and superficial attributes instead of character.

As I think back to all the people who have tried to invalidate me or seek validation from me I notice a tragic irony. We often invalidate others in service of our own validation. Validating oneself at someone else’s expense is a very ugly thing to do indeed, no disciple should ever do that with it being so un-Christ-like in so many ways. For example, I was once in a relationship with a woman who interpreted so many of my actions as a breakup. From my point of view, I had to acknowledge a falsehood in order to validate her fears. In hindsight, she just couldn’t see past her own feelings. If I had thought, felt, and valued things exactly as she did; her assumptions would have been spot on. However, with my personality being so very different it wasn’t even close to accurate. So I found myself constantly defending and explaining myself, only to never be believed. Leaving me completely invalidated by her, and even less willing to consider the wounds beyond her fears that lead to those disrespectful accusations. Yet, I’m sure she was just as unwilling to see things from my point of view since I just insisted her fears were unfounded, instead of addressing her deeply rooted insecurities. Our whole relationship turned into a battle of who was right, rather than doing what was right for each other. Yet, neither of us was doing the right thing at the time, because we were making judgments on mere appearances instead of correct ones. (John 7:24) While I certainly wished I would have handled things differently, there was still no guarantee that she would have reciprocated if I had. As Matthew 7:1-5 says, we need to turn that discerning eye on self first, to equip ourselves to judge others correctly. So when validation becomes a one-way street, the lone receiver can’t necessarily see how scripture applies to them, or their own actions objectively. So one person ends up doing all the work and sacrifice to maintain the peace, making the relationship very parasitic. I wouldn’t wish such a relationship on anyone.

Ultimately, the only validation that really matters is God’s. However, it takes a very strong and mature Christian to be that impervious to the world's judgments. So we shouldn’t use that as an excuse to not lift up others along their journey. Paul definitely validated his disciples when they deserved it. Keep also in mind, that if we don’t validate the good, the world will be all too eager to validate the bad. Paul also corrected his disciples with gentleness and humility when they needed it too. (Galatians 6:1-2) A good disciple is correctable, not beyond reproach after all. Nor did Paul patronize people by rationalizing misguided actions, as we are prone to do these days in the name of validation. That only enables and magnifies self-destructive behavior. So even unconditional love must leave room for correction, even if the fragile see it as invalidating. So this all-or-nothing approach to validation and similar concepts just doesn’t work, we really need to be more discerning than that. So we can offer both grace and discipline in a Christ-like way, instead of an emotionally charged one.

So let me leave you with this. Someone who seeks validation specifically from you must respect you, or have a vested interest in you somehow. Even if their rejection sensitivity often leads to counterproductive behavior. How you treat that relationship will have an impact on all their future relationships. Don’t be the person that breaks them, and makes them think they have a right to treat others terribly because of it. Of which there are many who have just that attitude, and creating more broken people all the time. At the same time, we need to make sure we are not putting our relationships on too high of a pedestal. Where we exalt the idol of human approval more than God himself. If we keep all these points in mind we will have a healthy attitude towards validation that encourages people to embrace Christ’s healing that leads to complete holiness, instead of the world's easy path of embracing your brokenness as your true self. That they will validate for their own sake, not yours.

The Visual PARABLEist

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! -Philippians 2:1-8

Immature Heirs

If I had to summarize the state of the current church universal, I would say it consists of too many adult heirs living as spiritual children. Meaning, that most oversimplify the gospel to simply being a good boy. Despite the fact that the Hebrews spent thousands of years doing basically that, only to fail time and time again. So they had to continuously atone through the sacrificial system. Jesus satisfied that requirement once and for all through his sacrifice. Not just to give us an easy out, but because we should be mature enough to understand the why, and not just the what and accept the responsibility of self-correction.

I have said it before, and will probably say it again. We didn’t need a Messiah to just reiterate the law, and correct our misapplication of it. Any garden variety prophet could have done that. We needed a messiah to bind up our broken hearts because that is the biggest obstacle to actual holiness. By skipping over that, we are missing so much of the good news within the gospel, and rob it of its potential glory.

Which begs the question, why? I think a lot of it is that most people just can’t or won’t look past the surface of anything. Much of what we think we know about Scripture has been explained to us by others. If that preacher can’t see past their own nose either, their understanding of the gospel will be shallow as well. All the more reason for taking responsibility for our own soul. I have only gotten to where I am by not relying on the pulpit for everything. As a new Christian, my spiritual wounds ran deep, I needed answers that went far deeper than common knowledge Christianity offered. If I didn’t seek real scriptural answers for myself. I would have likely fallen away by now, or just been another whitewashed tomb. I wish I could say I had great mentors to get me through my personal exodus, but I didn’t. For me, my books were my teachers.

Let me offer a few examples of what I am saying. The story of Lazarus, is an issue I have discussed numerous times. (John 11:1-44) Even ordained ministers get this one all wrong. Jesus did not weep because he was mourning the death of Lazarus. He wept because they did not understand that there was no reason to mourn him at all. Despite all they had seen, they still saw him as just another garden variety prophet. They didn’t understand that his divinity made his power unlimited. If he was mourning over anything, it was all of his chosen people’s ignorance. I’m sure he still weeps over us today for the same reason. Just as he wept over all of Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-42. I am right there with Him on that one, as hard as I try, people still view scripture from a very mortal and worldly perspective.

There are a few obscure cults out there that insist that Mosaic law still applies in the New Covenant. They take the fully adult heirs living as un-Bah-Mitzvah’d children to the extreme. To use their terminology. Once while debating this issue with one of them I used Romans 7:1-6 as an example. But he insisted that passage was about marriage. Although he was an ordained minister, he could not see that Paul was using marriage as a comparison, not actually talking about marriage itself. It was about that time I realized it was pointless to reason with him. He was too spiritually discerned to see that a good Father wants to instill true understanding about righteousness so that a child can grow to become an heir in the kingdom. Not just knowledge about what is wrong, so they live in fear of punishment until the day they die.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. -1st Peter 5:5-7

People like to quote 1st Peter 5:7 by itself. That way we think we can cast off our anxiety and negative emotions, but never have to face the cause. Yet if we start with verse 5, and include the parts that reveal this act must be done in humility, and this childish notion falls apart. As a teenager, I had a real hard time verbalizing the storm going on inside. So I humbled myself before God via my art instead. I disturbed a lot of people this way, they just could not get past the surface and assumed the worst. Then encouraged me to essentially whitewash myself. I have heard similar stories from others where their conservative whitewashed parents went as far as to destroy their children’s creations which were their means of dealing with and releasing the pain inside. So they were essentially saying to their kids to shove those splinters lodged in your heart even deeper where nobody can see, and be a fake like us. While we can’t hide anything from God, we can keep things from him. So by denying our brokenness, we our only slowing down our path to healing. Not realizing that only by allowing God to remove those splinters from our hearts, will we see clearly enough to deal with the splinters of others empathetically, instead of with critical judgment and forced whitewash. (Matthew 7) Maybe that is why we get so upset with those who reject the church only to adopt a different color wash. Their lie of identity being less than skin deep reflects our immature lies.

As much as we try to turn Christianity into a systematic checklist. It is really far more poetic than that. The Bible itself is full of literal poetry after all, and it’s not all nice warm and fuzzy poetry about puppies and fluffy bunnies either. It acknowledges all the dark realities we must face every day, perhaps if you read and studied it for yourself, you might realize that and stop living like a child avoiding punishment, and live like an adult who is responsible to his Fathers kingdom.

What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. -Galatians 4:1-7

The Visual PARABLEist

There was a time I walked away from art thinking it separated me from my church peers. Then this image appeared in my head and it wouldn’t go away until I released it onto canvas. Only then did I understand what God was telling me. I was treating his gifts and talents with contempt, and damaging my spiritual “vision” in the process. It was about that time I started to incorporate my art into my teaching.

Are we all pastors?

You have probably heard your minister say that “we are all pastors” at some point, or at least some variation of it. Which can be a very scary and intimidating idea for the average churchgoer. Is this really true from a theological standpoint though? Does it violate the body of Christ? Or is this what Peter meant by the Royal Priesthood? This begs the question, are the many troubles that the church faces partially due to mankind trying to sidestep our responsibilities, or impose our own will into God’s model? All the more reason to take a long hard look at it.

Terminology
The question itself gets complicated by semantics. Common usage is often a bit different than a true technical definition. Yet even proper definitions get a little more complicated than we may realize, which I will go over. Also, there are other non-Biblical terms like reverend, which is more of a title of educational level like doctor. As well as clergy, which seems to be a broad generic term for all faiths, not just Christianity. so I don’t think I need to say any more about them.

Priest
Used heavily in the Old Testament, yet mostly only used by the Roman Catholic Church today. Keep in mind that the entire tribe of Levi was once designated as part of the priesthood, yet there was also a high priest. The New Testament seems to flip the script though by indicating we are all part of the priesthood. (1st Peter 2:4-10, Revelation 5:10) Giving the idea credence. Even if only the Protestant church acknowledges it.

Pastor (shepherd)
Did not start being used as it is today until the Protestant Reformation. Which may simply reflect what Martin Luther thought the priests of the New Covenant should be like. Keep in mind, that Peter was seen as the first Pope of the Catholic Church. Consider also the exchange between Jesus and Peter in John 21:15-19; then one can see how he may have believed St. Peter was called to be a shepherd. With that being said, Biblically speaking the term is really more about caring for the people than leadership. Yet shouldn’t we all be caring for one another, not just the senior minister. Even if some are more gifted at it than others, and specifically set apart for it. So in that sense, this gives the idea credence as well.

Minister
While we may use this term the same way we used high priest in the past. Technically it means “servant” and refers to all people in ministry at every level. Not just leaders. So in this sense, the key idea is proper as well.

Application of the Body of Christ
When Paul talks about the different spiritual gifts in 1st Corinthians 12, he uses very different terminology than he does when talking about different positions of service in Ephesians 4. Even though he uses the Body of Christ comparison in both. Which may be part of the confusion about this idea. They are definitely not apples-to-apples comparisons as we may have assumed. Meaning, that while every minister has gifts, not every senior minister is going to have the exact same gifts. Yet I think we often expect them to. That expectation is often based on past experience and familiarity, or what we want and need. Which can be a bit self-centered and unrealistic. I personally appreciate churches with extended ministry teams, the individual members bring their own flavor to the common cause of the gospel. Allowing them to reach more types of people. Is this not what we need right now?

With this in mind, we may all technically be priests, pastors, or ministers after all. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are expected to do what the leaders do as you may have assumed though. Hence the fear of the idea. So it’s no wonder that 10% of the people do 90% of the work in church. An obvious shortfall in the church that's weakened us, and inspired overworked leaders to remind us of this truth hastily.

Yet, maybe this is a sign that our leaders need to define church, the logistics of it all, and equipping the people better than they do. Then maybe we wouldn’t have so many fearing the responsibilities of being part of the Royal Priesthood. Yet in these desperate times of a shrinking church, we are trying to skip over all that. This is obviously producing the exact opposite result we are seeking. So I think it’s past time we as the church take a step back, consider where the people are actually at, and strategize how to guide them forward. Instead of only pushing where we want them to be. Clearly, that's not the same thing.

The Visual PARABLEist

This post began with an image in my head, which is the drawing seen above. This got me thinking about the idea. After much research and meditation, this blog ended up going in a different direction than I thought it would. My point is, the drawing illustrates the fear, more than the reality. 

The Virtue of Doubt?

This last Sunday the minister at my church preached on doubt. The following Monday we had a rather interesting discussion about it. The conclusion I came to was, that doubt is something to overcome not avoid. Hence the peculiar title. Why do I say that though?

Spiritual growth happens during difficult times, not in times of ease. How are we supposed to learn to rely on God’s strength if we never do anything that requires his strength after all? I dare say spiritual maturity is at a real low right now. Perhaps one of the reasons that is, is because we are avoiding doubt instead of facing it. Our fears have led to a very basic and rather shallow faith that couldn’t move a pebble.

The world around us has many questions, yet only those who have overcome their doubts can answer them. So naturally the world around us doubts we have real answers when we only offer the blanket answer of Jesus to everything, instead of practical application.

We also will be slow to discover our own failings if we never challenge our faith. Jesus spoke a lot about our false assumptions and our misapplication of scripture. Just read the sermon on the mount. (Matthew 5-7) I’m sure if he came back today, he would have many things to say to the church about how we apply his words. My point is, by challenging our faith we inevitably find ourselves facing our potential presuppositions. Leading us to what we need to work on, and where we need to study. Until we have reason to question our false beliefs, we will continue to hold on to them. So in this sense, it's good to doubt, since it can weed out the heresies. Unless you arrogantly think you have it absolutely all figured out, with no errors in your doctrine at all. (1st Corinthians 8:1-3)

For example, I know a couple that planted a church, and just before leaving one said “I know God is going to put all those ducks in a row for us.” Miracles wouldn’t seem like a miracle if they unfolded under ideal circumstances. It’s only when everything seems hopeless, and it works out anyway, is a miracle evident. The church in question did not take root, so they came face to face with their assumptions on how God really works. They are far more mature for it I’m sure. Even if it was learned the hard way.

That brings up another issue that all those who go into ministry must face. The possibility of confusing our will for God’s. Or confusing pride for faith. Believe me when I say it often takes more faith to swallow our pride and admit our error. Then just keep going out of pure ego. Faith and doubt are not nearly as cut and dry as we try to paint it. That is why we need to pray for wisdom throughout. 

It’s been said, that bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather the strength to face fear. Perhaps in a similar way, faith is not the absence of doubt, but the courage to face them. It’s also been said temptation is not sin in itself, it’s giving into that temptation is when it becomes sin. In the same way, it’s not the doubt that is the problem, it’s giving into it.

Do you honestly think Abraham had no doubts when asked to sacrifice Isaac? Do you believe Noah had no doubts while building the ark with so many critics mocking him the whole time? Do you think David had no doubts when face to face with Goliath? Do you think Paul had no doubts after being stoned by naysayers? We don’t think so because they did not give in to the temptation of said doubts. I dare say the only one who never doubted was Jesus himself because he didn't have to believe anything, he knew. As much as we aspire to be like him, we are definitely not Jesus. Yet we have faith that we will be blessed for our continued attempts at Christ-likeness, despite our many doubts along the way.

The Visual PARABLEist  

Jesus had to correct his disciples many times, but the only time he showed any anger was when they didn’t even try, not for their many failures. So don't be afraid to fail in your doubt, be afraid of never trying. 

“Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.” -Matthew 15:15-16 

Red Flag Security Blanket

It all started with the mental health post. Then I followed it up with two more posts to reinforce the idea that transformation happens from the inside out, and not the other way around. But it’s such a neglected truth that it can’t be restated enough. So let’s consider Jesus’ rafter strong words on the subject.

““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” -Matthew 23:25-28 

His words are directed at the teachers of the law and Pharisees. Jesus’ perpetual example of a bad example. As he said in verse 3 of the same chapter “don’t do as they do.” This time he blatantly accuses them of cleaning up the surface but leaving the inside filthy with the cup analogy. Then goes on to say, that if we would focus on the inside instead, the outside would become clean as a result. Yet how often do we do the exact opposite, even when Jesus flat-out says it doesn’t work that way.

Then he goes on with the whitewashed tomb analogy. Getting exposed to a dead body made you ceremoniously unclean under Mosaic law (Numbers 19:11-13) so they whitewashed tombs with lime as a warning to stay away. So in a way, this metaphor would be the equivalent of a red flag today. So Jesus is actually warning us about people who look too put together. That their appearance may very well be completely deceptive.

This backward thinking all comes back to comfort. We are not comfortable with facing our inner scars, leading us to fake holiness instead. Plus our comfort level with others often lies in how they present themselves externally, especially with new people. So we are often more than comfortable with allowing people to fake it as we do, instead of how to clean the inside of the vessel. Not that we have any experience to teach from. So if you’re following comfort, you’re not really following Jesus, and merely have a whitewashed faith.

The Visual PARABLEist

Leaky Heart

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. -Proverbs 4:23

As I indicated last time, No matter how many times, or how many ways Scripture reiterates the idea that the heart should be our focus as believers, we still get caught up in the surface. The above verse is but another example of that. So let me ask you this. When you are trying to clean up your act as a disciple, what are you focusing on; your heart, or what flows from it? When correcting others, do you care enough to look past their actions, or only criticize the flow that is spilling into your comfort zone?

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” -Matthew 15:19

Jesus says pretty much the same thing here as the Proverbs verse, only in a different way. So clearly the state of our heart has a lot to do with the quality of our behavior. Yet somehow so many in the church try to skip over addressing the heart of self as well as others. Only to get it all backwards by fixating on the symptom, and not the damage causing the symptom.

If you find yourself mopping up a puddle in the same place every day, you obviously have a leak somewhere. If you don’t track down the source, not only will you be stuck in an endless cycle of mopping, but you run the risk of enabling rot and mold. Does that sound like your relationship with sin? We notice leaks where the land, if we observe it on the bottom floor, it could have actually originated on any of the floors above it. It is not much different from our heart. Past traumas lead us to seek relief, and the world is full of quick and easy albeit temporary painkillers. Just like literal painkillers, overuse can reduce effectiveness, as well as lead to other dangerous side effects. So our short-term solutions often just lead to more long-term problems. Causing us to lose sight of the initial cause of our downward cycle. Our patterns of behavior can be years in the making, after all, meaning they are deeply ingrained in us. So our coping mechanisms' origin can often lie deeply in the past. We can’t deal with an issue we haven’t looked for the root of, let alone find the courage to face that root when we do.

One hard reality we may face in all this is that healing can come very painfully. ask anyone who has had major surgery. leading us to guard our hearts from actual solutions. The thing is Jesus wants to be part of that solution. He wants to help you succeed. You need only humble yourself before him (1st Peter 5:6-7) ask for wisdom (James 1:5) and he will guide you through the labyrinth of your heart. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Without a guide we can easily get lost in self. Unfortunately, we just can’t let go or move past issues that we refuse to own or acknowledge. They will always be like shards of glass hiding in the dark corners of our souls. That will inevitably reveal themselves at our most vulnerable moments. Won’t you let Jesus pick up the broken pieces, he already knows where they are, and he’s dying to show you despite your stubbornness.

The Visual PARABLEist

Mere Appearances

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” -1st Samuel 16:7

No matter how many times, or how many ways scripture reiterates this idea, we still get caught up in mere appearances. It just seems to be human nature to fixate on the surface, because the secular world has taken this superficially to new heights lately. Pop culture makes identity mostly cosmetic, in other words less than skin deep. Hollywood merely shoe horns in the right demographic of people into old stories, and only represents them in a visual way. Washington DC only addresses the symptoms of issues, yet never really considers the cause of problems. Yet, why should they know better, when the church is setting such a terrible example.

 
We ultimately judge on mere appearances because it is what we can plainly see in others. But we also know that is what others see in us. Yet we seldom consider that others are employing just as much camouflage and falsehoods as we are to avoid or deflect said judgments.

“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” -John 7:24

Of course, judging correctly would mean getting involved in the messy lives of others. It means turning that discerning eye on self as Matthew 7 teaches us. It may also make us realize, that what bothers us the most about others, is what resembles our own hearts. Then we might actually empathize and want to help, instead of just criticize.

The Visual PARABLEist

Mental Health?

While many who believe in the power of humanity are proclaiming progress. It seems the price of that progress is a rise in depression, anxiety, drug overdoses, and suicide. An awfully high price to pay I dare say. Yet with that are many calls to emphasize mental health. Many outspoken people in the church seem to have a very negative view of this. One quote that has been floating around social media along these lines is. . .

Today sin is called sickness, so people think they need therapy, not repentance.

Granted, the science of psychology can be rather humanistic in its approach. But does that mean we need to reject it entirely, or all the more reason to temper it with sound doctrine? So let’s unpack this idea to see what our attitude should be.

The quote revolves around sin, and Jesus revealed that sin originates in the heart. (Matthew 15:19) Where Isaiah 61:1 says that the Messiah would bind up the brokenhearted. A strong indicator that the state of our heart has much to do with how and why we sin. But remember, Biblically speaking the heart is more about personality and the dwelling place for the spirit than emotion. So being brokenhearted is equal to being broken in spirit and personality, not just feelings. Since repentance is more of a change of heart than just a change of action, this starts to make the ideas of therapy and repentance not as distinct and mutually exclusive as the quote would have you believe. Since repentance requires going deeper than a mere choice. 

Yet for those who don’t know this, repentance just sounds like “Stop It.” We as the church should have a better understanding of sin and how to combat it than just “Stop It.” Otherwise, we are just rubbing salt in the wounds of the brokenhearted. Yet that is about as far as it goes for staunch legalists. Which makes about as much sense as telling someone to just stop having a headache.

This brings me to my next point. I do believe sin is not a sickness in itself, but rather a symptom of a sickness of heart if you will. A quick but temporary way of dealing with our brokenness in many cases. Yet since we often try to over-simplify the gospel by skipping over the process of discipleship, we don’t allow ourselves to look deeper than “Stop It,” and never get to the broken heart of the issue. So we keep repeating the same mistakes due to the lack of true healing necessary to overcome. This can lead to faking it rather than repentance. True repentance works best when done in conjunction with some self-awareness and humility. All positive change begins with an honest confession of our situation after all. Whereas just dealing with the surface allows all the underlying issues to rot and fester within, magnifying the sickness. The church should know better than this because Scripture teaches us better than that.

Yet if you want to know where emotions fit into it all, you have to look to the soul. The word is not as synonymous with spirit, as many seem to believe. Rather the soul is more closely tied to the mind, thoughts, and emotions. If you did a keyword search of the word emotion in the Bible, you get zero results. Yet you find nearly one hundred of the word soul and seven hundred of the word heart. My point is, that our own ignorance of such things has not served us well in caring for the heart or soul; I.E. personality or mind. So we don’t know where to draw the line when “denying self.” Even those who preach self-denial with zeal seem to be full of pride and arrogance. For example, the central quote seems to have an attitude of superiority as it accuses the least of these, there is no humility in that. (Matthew25:40,45) These attitudes are absolutely crossing the line into the sinful nature of the flesh that should be denied. So why are we listening to them concerning our cross? (Luke 9:23-25)

When we don’t know where to draw the line, it leads us to try and jump from the initial glory of salvation, straight to sinless perfection. Not realizing that the glory of righteousness is dependent upon the glory of wholeness. If we don’t go from glory to glory, we are not experiencing God’s ever-increasing glory. So obviously we aren’t engaging in the process of true discipleship, or being transformed into His likeness. (2nd Corinthians 3:18)

With this upsurge of mental health issues, we as the church have an opportunity to genuinely help the brokenhearted least of these. Of course, that means getting involved, not just pointing a finger from the sideline. Plus, we can’t offer soul care to anyone, if we have avoided facing our own brokenness ourselves. We can only offer a painted-on surface righteousness that is merely a different, and less trendy shade of paint that the world is offering right now. Again, we as the church should know better, and have nothing to do with such a superficial dumbed down gospel.

Deep Down I’m sure we all realize that healing can come painfully. That it requires facing the scars in our hearts, the very things we are avoiding. Perhaps that is why we try to turn repentance, salvation, and casting our anxiety into a dodge, instead of an opportunity to mature. If we truly got back to in-depth heart-level repentance, then maybe so many wouldn’t need therapy after all.

The Visual PARABLEist

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 1st Samuel 1:12-16


“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”-Romans 2:4

Hidden from their eyes

At the tail end of 2020, I did a post called three-dimensional holiness. Then spent all of 2021 blogging about the most neglected dimension, wholeness. Well, recently I saw an Instagram reel revealing something extraordinary and new to me that relates to the subject. So after confirming the facts with a second source, here I am sharing this with you.

I’m sure you have heard of the holy city of Jerusalem. Well, the name is made up of two Hebrew words. The first word is ‘jir•oo’ which can mean ‘will see’ or ‘will feel the awe.’ The second word is ‘sha•lem’ which means wholeness. You may notice this word is similar to Shalom, which means inner peace. Same root word and everything. Inner peace and wholeness are very much related after all. My ultimate point is that Jerusalem literally means, they will see wholeness. Or they will feel the awe of wholeness. I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t a bit prophetic. Jesus did end up his earthly ministry in Jerusalem after all. He most certainly showed them the way of wholeness via the gospel. Even if they had felt it as well, they obviously didn’t all receive it or accepted it. Which maybe sheds light on Jesus’ words after being rebuked by the Pharisees upon his triumphal entry.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”-Luke 19:41-42

The Old Testament is the long sad story of the Jews failing to live up to the standard of righteousness. Yet most were blind to the key they were given that would have allowed them to succeed. This is even more sad. I also find it sad that 2000 years later, most people are ignorant of the role wholeness plays in our ability to live the full truth of the gospel.

If someone severely burnt their hands while working, would you just call them stupid for doing that and tell them to get back to work? No, you treat and bind their wounds in hopes that they may one day be productive again. If the person you were training to run a Marathon broke their leg, would you expect them to run it anyway? No, you give them proper time to recover first, knowing there is always another marathon. Yet we as the church expect people to live righteously without addressing the lack of wholeness in their hearts and spirit. Or just marginalize the concept of righteousness, knowing nobody can live it as we understand it. The lack of wholeness in individual people is leading to a lack of wholeness in the church. The result is, the church is failing to show and instill awe where this broken world truly needs it now.

We live in an age where most Christians only care to learn enough to validate their feelings and assumptions. So I challenge you to look past that, not just for the sake of your soul, but for the sake of the church universal, and the God you supposedly profess.

The Visual PARABLEist

“In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” -Matthew 13:14

“Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”” -Luke 10:23-24

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”” -Luke 11:34-36

Eternal Life Matters

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. -John 12:25

This is but one of two cases where Jesus talks about hating life. The other is an even harder pill to swallow than this one. (Luke 14:25-27) Over the years I’ve seen many a minister clumsily sidestep the verses. However, maybe it’s time we take a long hard look at it, instead of glossing over it because we don’t like it at face value. In all honesty, the older I get, the more I connect with it. The simple fact is, there are many things I hate about this mortal life, and fail to understand why even Christians put so much hope into it. Just look at the nonbelievers who have no choice but to put all their hope in it, and do so with such zeal. They have some of the most fragile peace I have ever seen.

Not that this means I should hate any associated people, instead of life itself. Yet most do just that because we blame others for the poor outcome of our life since we don’t want to bear the blame or take responsibility ourselves. Why shouldn’t I hate that about this life, and long for something better?

This love-life attitude reeks of coveting and envy, which are NOT Christian virtues, but products of the American dream. No wonder American churches have largely abandoned the subjects. If the church did a better job of understanding the full depths of the truth we profess, we could live out a far better example. Instead, we just define a child-friendly version of the road most taken. This is one of the things that motivates my ministry, to inspire people to look beyond the “be a good boy” gospel that has its share of misplaced worldly idols within it. Yet it’s why many people don’t want to hear what I have to say. Virtual idols are the gods of this mortal life we cherish so much, and they fail us time after time. Why shouldn’t I hate that about this life, and long for something better?

While life, in some respects, can be seen as a gift. However, like so many other gifts of God, if we value them more than the giver, they tend to go very wrong. Which we have a habit of doing since the gifts are far more tangible than the giver. Again, this is the essence of modern idolatry, and a big contributor to most selfish choices. Which leads to actions that hurt others. When we make a habit of that, we invite payback. Yet many are too shortsighted to see the correlation. That we can be the root of our own suffering when we betray others as well as the giver for the sake of the gift. Why shouldn’t I hate that about this life, and long for something better?

Yet in another sense, our mortal life is what separates us from knowing God in his full glory, and the full beauty of his truth, unadulterated by human will, and our limited understanding. Yet, it is only through our mortal lives can we even get a chance to see God. Even Jesus seemed to hate that about his life in the flesh and went off to lonely places to disconnect from it so he may better reconnect with the Father. (Luke 5:16)

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” -1st Corinthians 13:9-12

So beyond the bleakness of the extremes, perhaps we can find the real balanced truth of the matter. That our mortal lives are not something to be loved or rejected, but merely seen as a means to an end. At the end of it all there is eternal life. How we live out this drop in the sea of destiny we call our mortal lives, will have much to say about how we experience the fullness of the rest of the ocean. Apart from that, it’s mostly irrelevant and hardly worth all the pride we take in our so-called accomplishments. Makes you wonder why we get so fixated on the microbes found in this tiny drop we are currently in, and put our heavenly glory at risk for such temporal trivialities.

Consider this, Jesus promised peace, not happiness. (John 14:27) Yet the current church, especially contemporary ones, tries to make it all about happiness. It’s so much easier to provoke a feeling than follow the cycle of holiness that leads to peace after all. However, it’s often the obsessive pursuit of happiness and the worldly things we associate with it that robs us of our peace. happiness at best is sporadic with many ups and downs. We could never function in everyday life in such a constant euphoric state. Peace however is a different story. That can last and be maintained for extended periods of time. Yet when we lack it, it often leads us to seek out shortcuts to quick and easy happiness. That often has negative side effects in the long run. We must admit that happiness can in fact be achieved outside of God. That is why it is so short-lived, and prone to crash. Especially when we look to others for happiness. That is actually a huge burden to put on people. This can lead to much misery for those on the wrong end of it. Why shouldn’t I hate that about this life, and long for something better?

If we really believe God’s full truth matters, then I would suggest you take some time to evaluate where you really put your hope. Is it in eternal life, or the temporal things we have in this mortal one? In the end, the only way out of the things we hate is by defying this world and its toxic ways, not by giving in to it. Otherwise, we are just fighting fire with fire. Yet we wonder why the whole world burns with anger. Why shouldn’t I hate that about this life, and long for something better?

I drew this over Lent, as I gave up social media. As previously mentioned, this also cut me off from my online outreach. One unexpected effect was that certain things that didn’t bother me that much, started to bother me. In essence, made me long for things that I did not have in this mortal life. In the absence of what I was “set apart” for, my peace faltered. It is those feelings of lost contentment that I poured into the drawing.

That experience is proof of the Galatians 5:16-17 concept. That it is better to replace bad things with good things, instead of just suppressing and leaving a void that leaves us vulnerable. (Luke 11:24-26) So often we can’t take hold of better things, because we fear the loss of letting go of the old, the tangible, and the familiar. We will never know the peace that transcends understanding, that leads to eternal life that way.

The Visual PARABLEist  

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” -John 17:3

Even Rocks Can Break

“Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”” -Matthew 16:17-19

In this passage, Jesus blesses Simon Peter by declaring him the first leader of the church. Yet the Protestant Church often tries to say that Jesus was only speaking in general, not specifically to Simon. Yet only Simon of the original twelve got a name change. It was Peter who stepped up at Pentecost. Only Peter had his reinstatement story recorded, even though they all abandoned him. Peter is "Set Apart" in so many ways. Despite all that, we try to give Paul this distinction, because he wrote so much of the New Testament. Perhaps that actually made Paul more of a teacher than a leader. The epistles he wrote have definitely inspired every generation of the church. That is kind of how it is for teachers, they don’t always get to see much of the fruits of their labor within their mortal lives. Leaders are just the opposite, the majority of their fruits exist within those mortal moments. Even when their churches survive for generations to come, they can do a 180 in a heartbeat if a church doesn’t have good follow-up leaders.

But maybe there is another reason the church wants to dismiss Peter. This concerns another very interesting detail about Peter’s story that we don’t like. Of all the disciples, he is the only one who has all his faults and mistakes on display. Only Peter has been made so exposed. It’s not like the others wouldn’t have made any errors after all, they just aren’t written down with such fervor. What are we to take from this? More importantly, are we avoiding this detail for a reason?

Any good leader must lead by example, yet what we learn from Peter’s example here is vulnerability. Which ultimately makes him more relatable as a leader, instead of unapproachable. But do we appreciate that? In general, studies show vulnerability is widely seen as a positive trait in others, but not so much in self. Therein lies the possible origins of our negative perceptions of Peter, our very own leadership projected this fear of being vulnerable at some point. Then that misconception got passed on from generation to generation without question. Transforming discipleship into defining righteousness instead of actual mentorship.

I was once at a church conference, and the superintendent of that particular district was talking about the subject of vulnerability. He pointed out how this was especially hard for men, for their fear of appearing. . . all of a sudden about a dozen guys in the audience finished the sentence for him by saying “Weak” in unison. You would think someone had held up a cue card. But no, it was just a fact they all lived.

So realizing this, should we expect our leaders to be beyond reproach, or more vulnerable? Well as Matthew 7:1-6 indicates. We become truly righteous by owning our mistakes, not covering them up like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law did. (Matthew 23) Yet there is also the implication that it is through dealing with our issues, that we learn how to correct others properly, instead of with critical judgment. Something all good leaders should know if we want to transform instead of discourage.

To drive this further. The senior minister at my church said this from the pulpit. “The only one who hasn’t forgiven Peter is the church.” We as the church often beat up on Peter for his imperfections, but would we, if our leaders hadn’t taught us to? The consequence of this is, we beat up our current leaders for not living up to our expectations as well. Talk about a boomerang effect. Often inspiring our leaders to fear vulnerability and be more Pharisee-like, than Peter-like; all the way down to whitewashed righteousness. What can a fake teach you, but how to fake it ourselves?

True discipleship requires vulnerability because without it we can’t own our mistakes. If we don’t own our faults, we can’t overcome them. If we don’t overcome ourselves, we can’t teach others to do the same in a practical way. If our teaching is only theoretical, it is not as effective as it could be. Leading to a church of hypocrites and frauds that cannot delight and inspire the lost.

Do you see now how having more Simon Peters in the church helps lead people to the ever-increasing glory of a more complete and genuine holiness? Where by tearing down our Peters we are reverting back to a Pharisee-like Church of fakes. Yet we wonder why fewer people are going into ministry all the time. The truth is we have bound the people we really need, instead of loosing them.

Consider this one last point. Is not the fear of appearing weak a weakness in itself? Does it not take much more courage to allow ourselves to be vulnerable? Let’s face it, when we do that, there will always be those who will try to exploit it. Just like we have exploited Peter’s vulnerability, hence our fear. That is why we need more wisdom and strength than just our own to be good leaders. Our human frailty will show itself eventually. Might as well allow it on your terms, instead of by accident. Which always looks especially bad when we are pretending to be beyond reproach.

The Visual PARABLEist

Disconnected

As mentioned in my last post, I was choosing to observe Lent this year. I gave up social media, for the simple fact that I was seeking answers, and that seemed to lie at the heart of the issue. So I thought it important to record my experiences.

Initially, it became very apparent just how habitual social media had become. I had to remove the app shortcuts from my devices to keep from compulsively opening them without thinking. (I think I will keep my devices that way.) Tradition allows for a break from fasting on the Sabbath. I observed this by live-streaming an old friend's church services on Sunday. Sometimes I would also check specific individual pages as well. This just seemed to highlight just how non-social the format has actually become. People aren’t really sharing of themselves that much. Other than an art contest post, I kept to my fast.

As I revealed in said post, Lenten fasting is about disconnecting from the physical world to better take hold of the spiritual one. Therein lies the irony of giving up social media for Lent in my case. With my ministry being mainly social media-based right now, I found myself feeling detached across the board, not just from the physical world. While I did not miss the virtual sewer of information that is the news feed. I did miss being able to touch the lives of others. This prompted me to do more videos, to fill that void.

My ultimate conclusion is this, social media is best kept in moderation. The negatives far outweigh the positives right now. I quickly adapted to, and preferred life not so attached to the world in this way.

Also, visual parables needs to find new venues beyond social media again. I really don’t know what that is going to look like yet, but it needs to happen if I am going to remain “set apart.” Being detached in that way produced a genuine sorrow in me. There is just no going back after touching certain glories. Yet many avoid ever touching them at all. But I will get more into that in my next video, tentatively titled Ever Increasing Glory. I do hope you seek it out.

The Visual PARABLEist

social media

Spirit Care

The season of Lent is nearly upon us. While many view this as a Roman Catholic thing. However, with so many of our holiday traditions becoming so empty and secularized, many Protestants are looking back at our old traditions as a means of getting back to the original intent. But, as I always say, the value of tradition is in knowing why it is there. Otherwise, it tends to turn into blind sentiment.

Lent itself is modeled after the forty days Christ spent fasting in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11) Hence giving up something for Lent.

Fasting itself is a weird subject, even those who endorse it don't necessarily know anything about it. Sometimes their whole argument is; people in the Bible did it so you should as well. That is a classic false teacher statement. The people who like to prey upon the ignorance of naive people who don't know the whole truth. With that being said, let me say fasting is a deeply personal thing, you shouldn't let anyone tell you when or why you should fast. (Matthew 6:16-18) I say that because in the wrong hands, traditional fasting can be used as a brainwashing tactic. So be Leary of anyone who pushes the practice on you. Let me also add, traditional food fasting should only be practiced by those in good health. Diabetics and hypoglycemics should stay away. However, with this world being so overrun by empty and toxic amusements, I dare say non-traditional fasts may be as, if not more effective at their intended purpose.

Speaking of which, fasting is a way to detach from the physical world to better take a hold of the spiritual one. So there is indeed value and reason behind the practice that many of us may need. In short, a time of reflection and self-examination as we seek God's input. (Psalm 139:23-24)

There are three scriptural reasons to fast. The first is to petition God. If you feel you really need an answer to something, but all the distractions of the world are getting in the way. Fasting can be a way to focus our intentions. As well as humble ourselves before God.

The second is mourning. People will sometimes naturally do this in their grief. Mourning is a natural part of the healing process after all. Yet, we often try to rush people through it, for the sake of our comfort. Especially if we see that they are withdrawing, or not eating. Maybe we should stop assuming the worst and stop interfering with their mourning. Even if we are not comfortable with how their spirit is leading them to do it. The peace of God that they seek is far more valuable to them than your approval any day.

The last is atonement, making reparations for our sins. Atonement may not be absolutely necessary under the New Covenant, with Jesus offering himself as the ultimate sacrificial lamb. Still, this can actually be a very revealing experience if we fast something associated with our problem area. It can show us the depths of our relationship with what we are giving up. This may be beneficial in our eventual repentance of said behaviors if you intentionally approach it that way; instead of merely following a rote tradition.

People often engage a devotional reading during this time as well. Even if they have no interest in doing a fast, they will do this. There are many specific Lenten devotionals available. They are typically about the season of Lent and its traditions and history though. Depending on your intent in engaging Lent; you may try a more targeted subject-based reading plan instead.

I have observed Lent before, but I don't always. I have found it rewarding when I have though. I only formally observe Lent when I feel the need to repent, reconnect, or move past a plateau. I do feel the need this year, for a variety of reasons. Specifically, I will be giving up social media this year. I have expressed my frustrations with the format lately. Being on the dawn of a new leg of my walk as a disciple, and my ministry I have many uncertainties about whether social media needs to be a part of it at all. My hope is this will reveal if there are any real benefits or only detriments. As well as possibly see whether it really is just a crutch for genuine connection. Or possibly just a way to solicit approval and acknowledgment, like many other social media influencers seems to.

Will you be observing Lent to some extent? It just so happens to begin on my birthday this year. This seems rather poetic to me. 2/22/2023 (Ash Wednesday)

The Visual PARABLEist

Some other key passages about fasting

David’s attendants assume he we fasting out of mourning, but in reality, he was petitioning God. -2nd Samuel 12: 16-22

John’s disciples question Jesus about the tradition of fasting. Their tradition wasn’t very scriptural, but Jesus’ response was. -Matthew 9:14-15

Frustrations at church

As I heard from the pulpit recently, the most spiritually mature people in the church are often the most dissatisfied with their church. Which begs the question, why? The broad general answer I came up with is, people want everyone to be in the same place as they are. While that may sound comfortable, it's not very good for the health of the church on multiple levels.

When specifically talking about the spiritually mature. They are not content with all the canned studies and programs. Why should they be? The data indicates that it doesn't really grow people in their faith. It just allows people to be content where they are already at. Which would naturally irritate the mature who may feel they have to stand alone continually. Yet, nobody is in a big hurry to catch up to them.

Then there is how the Body of Christ is supposed to help and support one another. (1st Corinthians 12, Galatians 6:1-6) Naturally, the more mature ones have a smaller pool to connect with when it comes to more complicated spiritual needs. Speaking from experience, there have been times when I have sought advice from people, and it seemed rather evident that the only path they knew was the road most taken of career and family. Since I didn't follow that path, they thought it best to just direct me back to that common path. As if that is the answer for everything. This only proved to alienate me further, not help.

The mature may come off as arrogant know-it-alls to some. If they only share to establish superiority, it's probably a fair assessment. Yet, if they are sharing their wisdom and experience as the body of Christ demands, then it's not. If we are seriously going to look down on people for being the best disciple they can be. It's no wonder average is where people want to stay. But that is not a good standard to hold yourself to. (Revelation 3:15-17)

This is why I adhere to the mantra of “delight and inspire” as an artist and Christian educator. In the end, it’s all you can do because there are absolutely no guarantees about how others will respond to your efforts. Hence the many frustrations of the mature. (John 6:60-66)

For example, as much as I may try to engage people with my visual parables. Much like Christ tried to do with his narrative parables. There will always be those who won't look past the surface, and just want it explained to them. (Matthew 15:13-20, John 10:6)

As much as I may try to challenge people to move forward in their faith. There will always be those who just want warm and fuzzy feel-good fluff. Which just promotes a shallow faith.

As much as I may teach that the state of our heart lies at the root of our failures in righteousness. Many will be content with faking it, just to avoid facing their own brokenness. (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 23:25-28)

As much as I teach grace and forgiveness. There will always be those who just want to condemn people for their failures instead of lifting a finger to help address the brokenness at the root of their sin. (Matthew 23:1-4)

As much as I teach that the purpose that you are "set apart" for is a key part of true and complete holiness. There will always be those who are content with feeding off the harvest that they will never help plant. With my old church not surviving the shutdowns, it's been slow to integrate myself into a new church where I can serve to the same extent I once did. My spiritual fulfillment has gone down with it. So from my point of view, avoiding service is doing yourself no favors.

This must be how Jesus felt when he realized that the people came to him more for free food than for truth. (John 6:25-27) Yet, it never stopped him from feeding them.

This must be how Jesus felt as he entered Jerusalem with the realization that his time was nearly up, yet so few truly understood. (Luke 19:31-42) Yet he didn't just throw his hands up and shout; you are all unworthy.

The point I am leading up to is this. Spiritual maturity ultimately means that we must recognize that God values our sincerity and devotion more than our desire for success. While we want to believe that God will put all those proverbial ducks in a row and make it easy for us. We must also recognize that we will not outperform Jesus. Even he didn't convince everyone, so we aren't either. We need to set aside our pride and the idol of success it worships.

We also need to be willing to take a step back and ask why people are not responding to teaching. There are likely many fears and other obstacles getting in the way. If it took you ten to thirty years to overcome your obstacles, nobody will get over it in a heartbeat just because you tell them to. That just creates more frustration.

The Visual PARABLEist

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
    It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. -Hebrews 6:1-6

The second half of that Hebrews passage can seem scary by itself as if it's saying one strike and your out. But in context, you can see that it is encouraging you to move onto the next level of glory. (2nd Corinthians 3:18) You won't experience the fullness of God's glory by stopping at foundational truths.

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
—Romans 14:1

so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. -1st Corinthians 12:25

Soul Care

Self-care has been a big buzzword these days. I have done a few social media posts about it. My church even did a series on it, only we called it Soul Care to distinguish it from the often shallow and vain version that the world professes. But do we really understand the distinction as well as we should? I even tried writing a full blog about it that I ended up not posting because I felt as if I was missing something. Well, I think I have discovered what I was missing. Something that keeps us from living out proper soul care. A truth that really hits home, so I will waste no more time in sharing it.

We all have basic needs, and I dare say love is a basic need as well. Would scripture talk about it so much if it weren’t? It is such a driving force in so much of what we do, and we can end up doing some crazy things when we don’t get this need met. Even the Lord’s Prayer has a line about basic provision. So it’s important to know where to draw the line with self-care, and I’m starting to realize that even church people may have some terrible boundaries.

With that being said, let me add this. It is okay to be mindful of your basic needs. Granted, it is wrong to take it to parasitic levels where we resort to toxic behaviors to do so, using up people in our wake. I'm sure we all know a person like that. I even did a whole drawing series about such people years back called Emotional Vampires. Believe me, when I say, I would not have done that series if I hadn't suffered from their abuses myself.

This is where I get to what I have specifically learned. Often, when we have been victimized by such self-centered people. Especially as a child, and by a parent. We can often make a very conscious decision to not be like them. While going to the opposite extreme may seem like a good thing, it can lead to what I will call covert parasitic behavior. While covert parasites may not be willing to resort to the impatient, unkind, rude, critical, and other abusive tactics the person who wounded them did. It doesn't change the fact they still have basic needs. This often leads them to resort to more controlling, manipulative, or passive-aggressive methods; albeit unconsciously. This can be just as toxic as the blatant users are, they just delude themselves into thinking it's not.

Covert parasites are often people pleasers and approval addicts. They often give more of themselves than they have to give to buy your affection. While being giving and loving is a good thing. For the covert parasite, there is always a proverbial fishing line attached to their sacrificial giving. They are not doing what they are doing out of the pure goodness in their heart. Rather they are seeking some sort of acceptance, approval, inclusion, validation, praise, or love. Although they are technically draining themselves with these methods, they get just as frustrated and angry as anyone else when people don't bite at their hidden fishing line. They are just too afraid to say so. Their experience teaches them that expressing a need is a negative action, never recognizing it's the means and methods that were at fault, not necessarily the intent. Eventually, they will reach their limit and blow up on all the people they love. Granted they will feel genuinely guilty about it. Since they think they have started channeling the person they are trying to avoid being like. Only to start the same cycle yet again. 

So if any of this sounds familiar, I would suggest that you take a long hard look at yourself and your motivations. Are you really doing what you are doing for them, or are you secretly seeking reciprocation? Are you giving what you yourself need because you feel guilty about asking for it plainly? This is a classic example of what I refer to as opposite extremism. The opposite of crazy is often just insane. Choosing the way of the covert parasite is just that, insane. While the covert parasite is not willfully or intentionally trying to hurt anyone. In the end, it still happens. Can you in good conscience continue with this pattern now that you realize the truth?

Do you see now how being mindful of your basic needs, can actually be the adult and responsible thing to do? As well as be easier and less stressful for everyone involved in the long run.

Easy to define, not so easy to overcome. Covert parasites can often be chameleons, becoming what they believe will give them the love and approval that they are looking for. So they often do not have a good sense of self nor do they have a good grasp on their emotions. So they have a hard time defining or even putting their needs into words. All they have ever done is broadcast their abstract anxiety after all. Putting the burden of discernment of their emotions on the other person. It's unfair and unrealistic to expect other people to understand the incoherent feelings of the covert parasite better than they themselves do.

The thing is; we can't really serve others in a healthy way, as Christ called us to if we are covertly serving our own needs with said actions. So the irony of it all is, sometimes we got to focus on our own wholeness and spiritual well-being before we can truly be good disciples. Are you willing to consider that possibility?

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. -James 1:5

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. -Romans 12:9

The Visual PARABLEist