Having dreads has taught me a lot. They are extremely hard to maintain if you have as straight as hair as I do. Do not be fooled by their casual, messy like presence. That is not a sign of unkempt hair, but the exact opposite--hours of pulling, twisting, pain, Advil popping and knotting. I've learned to not use wax unless you are becoming a candle for Halloween and that reaching true "dreadhead" level is only when you can successfully use your dreads to tie up the rest of your hair (Est. March 11, 2016). But the most impactful has been my interaction with other people. My dreads are against the norm. They are in a constant state of judgement from passerbys. In the year and a half that I have had them, I have had to learn how to ignore those that perceive me out to be something I am not; to walk in a room and be different.
See Jesus teaches us something about that. Going against the norm usually means you are doing something right. Please do not hear what I am not saying. Murderers, rapists, even petty liquor store thieves go against the norm and yet, they walk in sin. What I am referring to is the very real yearning to belong. Wanting to belong is actually a part of human nature. We were created with it so that we may yearn to belong to Him. In the Fall, Adam and Eve reversed this concept. Belonging became focused on other gods and values completely opposite of the things of God. Today being a lover of Jesus is weird and strange. It is against the norm. But it's always been like that. Jesus was not a popular man. He was hated and chased after. The Pharisees spent the three years Jesus was traveling the land trying to take Him out.
Lets look at the blind man healing in John 9.
"1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing" (John 9:1-7).
A key point here is that the man did not see Jesus. He obviously did not when he was blind, then, when Jesus sent the man away to wash his face in the pool of Siloam, He walked away before the mans eyes were healed (John 9:6). When people saw that the man who used to be blind could see they asked what had happened and the he responded, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight" (John 9:11).
Immediately after his healing the blind man went out to share the miracle that Jesus did. He hadn't even seen Him and yet, he was sharing the anointing power of Jesus.
Read further on and we learn that even after that statement to the people the Jews still did not believe that he was blind and now healed so they went to the parents of the man to ask if this was their son (John 9:18). When they asked how their son could see, the parents of the man said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself" (John 9:20-21). Again, another crucial response. See I always read this as the parents wanted their son to speak for himself because he was grown. But the blind man's parents were actually disassociating themselves from the claims their son was making. In this time if people claimed this man named Jesus as God, they were cast out of the community. So instead of answering the question they turned it back on their son. It was then that the once blind man answered once more "never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing" (John 9:32-33). Boom. Jesus proclamation bomb. After this statement they cast him out of the community.
It was only after the man was cast out that he finally saw Jesus. Even when his parents denied him, he continued to speak of the miracle Jesus did. This is our hope for living and to speak of the goodness and power of the Lord and the mighty works He does. This once blind man was denied by his parents. This man was excommunicated. He let go of everything to speak about a Man who He could not see. Three times this guy declared Jesus as God. Three times He went against the common law and denied the norm in his society, even unto excommunication. As modern day Christians we can be constantly distracted by the popular beliefs in our society. Things can easily pull us away from spending time with Jesus. We get caught up in those popular beliefs that we turn from the truths of who Jesus is; we turn from our original calling of finding relationship with Him. Going against the greater population can be scary and difficult, but it is necessary. When we stand and chase after this very alive, invisible God we find fulfillment. Like the blind man that stood, even against his parents, we are called to turn from the darkness that captivates this modern day society and reach into the unpopular realm of freedom. Though we cannot see, we believe. And though we may rebel against the norm, against wanting to belong, we find communion with the Holy One and that alone is our purpose.
Jesus you have won me. Captivate me once more.
No comments:
Post a Comment