And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him...(Mark 3.12a, NRSV)
This one statement, so eloquently and briefly tucked into the pericope, is easy to miss in the author's lightning-paced literary style--especially given the sexiness of the surrounding stories: healing the masses, casting out daemons, and of course the best part...the Easter egg hunt at the end of the Gospel. Jesus' thirty-three years are boiled down to a short story and somehow we think there are "important" parts. This seems about as ludicrous as searching for important parts of the Cliff's Notes on War and Peace! Where did the church derail in not savoring each and every word of the Gospels as precious information, not only about the life of Jesus, but our story.
Perhaps most of the mainstream Christian churches with "a voice" in this world (or at least within the political landscape of this country) have found it so much a part of the Markan literary landscape that they have never thought to take pause over this basic call of Christ. But, perhaps not taking pause in this sound-bite culture is the root of all evil. The problem in skimming over this seemingly innocuous little phrase lies in the profundity of its plain-clothed calling; out of this calling all things Christian stem, grow, blossom, and thrive. We change implicitly when we spend vast amounts of time with anyone. With anything else, all things Christian become as malicious as the Crusades, Westboro Baptist Church, and the Holocaust. For, how can someone be with Jesus and not be changed? Perhaps we have been spending time with an illusory Jesus who live only in the minds of those that want Jesus on their terms.
It has been said that our character is the sum total of the five closest people in our lives. What if Jesus were one of them? I am not suggesting to get all Jesus Freak on people. But what if this kind of gospel brought us to a more complete humanity over time. Is it not good news that God extends his hand to us and asks us for a walk in the right direction? What if the changes were subtle but profound? Would people around us be inspired? What if the Christ-story moved through us like oxygen, animating us from the very fibers of our being? What if Christianity was not about a laundry list of things that "CHRISTIANS DON'T DO! AMEN!"? What if it was not about all the things we are not? But, what if it was about all the things we are: child of God, created-in-God's-image, disciple, friend of God, a little less than the angels, and the list goes on.
I like that list. That list means something. That list is essential in its quality. In other words, it brands the church, the Christian, by what we are. For too long, we have been courted by the non-essentialist philosophy that tells us that a Christian is a Christian because they are not: pro-choice, gay, and well, that is just about all it boils down to these days. What a pitiful faith that is. And suddenly Paul's introduction to Romans makes sense: "Since they didn't bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating" (Romans 1.28-29a, The Message). Paul meant to be talking about the "world" but this unfortunately seems to be a poignant picture of the American Church landscape.
The Christ-story is the literary, theological, political, and artistic landscape upon which Western Civilization has been built for nearly 2000 years now. To think that the Christ-story, regardless of how raped by human understanding, does not bleed into each and every one of our stories is both ignorant and dangerous. How different would the church be if we had made this "be with Jesus" concept the focus of discipleship? How different would I be? How different would history and the world's perception of the Church and Jesus be? These are tough questions with even tougher and less attainable answers. Of some comfort is the concept that the past is the past. As Paul puts it, "now is the day of salvation." Our search for the sexy things of faith has created enough discord to fill the annuls of any library...this is already reality, pick up any book on the history of Western Civilization.
The phrase "to be with him" might not be dressed up in its Sunday-best, but it is of paramount importance not to frisk the Gospels for the "good stuff." This is the good stuff! God, incarnate, extending his reach to us, asking us in all we do wherever we are to focus on the simple task of being with God. We must not be fooled, though the calling to be "with God" is simple, it is far from easy. Grace would not be necessary if this "with God" life was easy. It has always dumbfounded me how far I often am from the initial call of Christ upon entering into a covenant relationship with him, but it has dumbfounded me further the extent of God's grace and love.
With respect to those characteristics of God, this blog will be an attempt of groping in the dark for a sort of Christianity that animates the mundane. I want to know what a life "with Jesus" is. I have spent too long focusing on what it is not. And, consequentially, I have lost sight of the essence of God. We are more than our bodies, our minds, our current situation. We are formed in the image of God by the hands of God for the glory of God. And, that is an amazing thing. Only after the creation of humans did God put "very" in front of good when he commented on the handiwork of Creation. This blog will attempt to scratch the surface at how weaving the Christ-story with our own through a simple commitment to "being with him" might bring us back to a kind of humanity that makes God step back and say..."This is very good, indeed." Will you join me on this journey with Jesus?
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