Who Am I?

So this week I'm reading through the events of the last week of the life of Jesus. (I'm using Luke's version, so I started at Luke 19 and reading through to the end of his account). This morning I read through the accounts of Jesus being questioned (more like verbally attacked) by the religious leaders. I was amazed all over again at the answers of Jesus - he took on the scholarly elite of His day and put them in their place every time they attempted to trap him (check out his amazing debate skills in Luke 20).

But the question which plagued me as I read through these passages was, "Who am I in this story?" In other words, which character would I have been in that day? Where would I have fit into these accounts of Jesus being challenged by the religious mafia? I came up with several possibilities:

A Sadducee - I dismissed this one pretty quickly. These guys were the social upper crust of their day. This red-neck Georgia boy would never have been asked to be part of their club.

A Pharisee - These guys were the religious leaders of the day, so yeah, I guess that there is a chance that I could have fit into that group. Most of them weren't fans of Jesus, though... he was upsetting their system. So I wonder what my reaction would have been if my "status quo" was being challenged?

Part of the crowd - These were the rubber-neckers of the day. They stood on the edges, listened to the debates, laughed when Jesus put the religious leaders in their place, but also chanted "crucify Him" when Jesus stood beside Pilate. They weren't committed either way; they just wanted safety, security, and their next meal. Yeah... I bet I could have been a face in that crowd.

A Disciple - These were the guys who abandoned everything they knew to follow Christ. Sure, they flinched when Jesus was arrested and crucified, but ultimately these guys came through because nothing mattered more. Man, I sure would love to say that I would have been one of those guys.

I've found that it is really easy to Monday morning quarterback all these different characters, point out flaws and mistakes and to make statements like, "I would have..." But during this week leading up to Easter Sunday, I've been plagued by this nagging question - who am I in this story? And... I guess the more important question - what in my life now proves that I would not have been one of the bad guys? It's a hard question to ask; maybe harder question to answer. And yet... what could be a more important question?

What's in a name?

Alright... so yesterday we got the big news... this August we are having... a son! While I was mainly just happy to hear the words, "As far as we can see, everything looks find and the baby is healthy," and while I would have been just as excited if it was a girl, there has definitely been a lot of dreaming about what it means to have a son. We've got a precious little girl, Elizabeth (who turns 1 year old today, by the way), and it has been the thrill of a lifetime to be her dad. But now I get to start dreaming about this future baseball / football player / golfer / soccer player and all the games that I'll get to sit through and yell at blind referees / umpires. For the last 24 hours, my thoughts have been in the sports world. For my wife, though, her thoughts have been on one thing - what will we name this man child of ours? The moment we left the doctor's office, the discussion began. I came up with several names - all of them were shot down. Here is the list of names I thought would work. I'm certainly open to suggestions, but let me warn you - don't get your feelings hurt if your suggestion is shot down. I thought the ones below were all home runs, and, well... turns out that they had "K's" put beside each one. Here are the "winners" I offered:

General (such a fine name anyway, but combined with his last name, he'll make the Wheaties box even if he's not the best athlete).

Cotton (anyone ever heard of Cotton Mather, the famous pastor of the 1700's? Katie says with that name he'll sound like a pillow factory. Plus we have friends who've already taken that name for their little boy).

Concord (my Charlotte friends will get that one).

Wind (I know, not as creative, but if he became a pitcher, would give the guys on ESPN some good lines for when those batters whiff his split-finger fastball).

Saw (Waaayyy to graphic for my wife, but can't you just imagine him being a linebacker with a name like that? He would cut through that offensive line like a... well, you know.)

Seven (100 bonus points if you can tell me what television series that is from).

Sue (not only is it a family name, but according to Johnny Cash, he'd be the toughest kid in school).

Well, the bad news is that none of these winner names turned out to make the contender list. I just bet you we'll end up with some old boring name like John or David or Paul or... Kevin.

Crazy Love

Without a doubt, my favorite book is the Bible. There is no other book I've discovered that speaks to me over and over like that book. It is amazing to me that I can read a passage from the Bible that I know I've read two or three dozen times before, and for some reason, I will see some new concept or application for my in the passage. There is no other book that continues to change my life like the Bible.

But... every now and then I'll come across some other book that will really speak to my heart. In January a friend recommended to me Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It is a fairly short book - maybe 200 pages, but I have been reading it for nearly two months now. It's not that I'm that slow (please... no snide comments from those who know me), it's just that the book is so convicting, I've had to read a few pages, then stop and digest and pray. The thrust of the book is that as American Christians, we've become quite complacent in our faith. We are fine with lukewarmness. Or, to quote Chan directly:

"This (lukewarmness) went against everything I was reading in the Bible... I began to compare all aspects of my life to Scripture. I quickly found that the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity. The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don't swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That's for the 'radicals' who are 'unbalanced' and who go 'overboard.' Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering." (p 68)

Please do not read this book if you are not ready to be challenged to make your pursuit of God the number one priority of your life. You won't get past the first few pages without tossing the book aside. But if you want your heart spurred toward a whole-hearted pursuit of God's presence in your life, I highly recommend this read.