Everything Arbitrary

What would happen if we just stopped doing the things that hurt each other?  What if we actually did what we said?  What if everything wasn't so arbitrary?  This is the thought that rattles around in my head today.  

I was reading today and realized that it is lame to always blame the fact that we fall short on things like the church or technology, or we just sucks as people.   The reality of it all is that there is something I think that we all feel, that there is something incomplete about our view and philosophies of life.   For christians we are locked down in this idea that God is about church, obligation, and not screwing the pooch to badly so that we might make it into those pearl gates some day.  Despite the fact that the more we read our Bibles the more we should realize that heaven is not the end goal for us because it is only self preservation of another life.  But that is what we believe is the truth.  But how can we look past "Your Kingdom COME" ?  Bring heaven to earth . . .such a foreign concept that we choose to ignore it and pretend that it was accidentally written in there.  

Everyday I hear these words, "I am praying for you," "I will be praying for you," or "If there is anything I can do let me know."  Sorry if this offends you because you have said these things and possibly even meant them, but they are some of the most arbitrary statement that a person could say.  It is not logical or practical in any way.  Maybe it is because we have no way to know how it is to be present with someone or get into the mix without feeling caught in the drama.   So I guess we say what first pops into our little heads.  There is this need to do the right thing, to at least be some what active in pursue what is supposed to be right at least.  I mean who say no to the a person that says I will pray for you.  Why not just say I will send out happy thoughts or good karma for you. . . it is about the same.  Because for most of us it goes something more like out of sight, out of mind.   We have good intentions.  We want to do what we say we believe in but when we get home there are a hundred things to do, other people to occupy our thoughts and time.  Then about three days later we hear about, think about, see the person that we promised to pray for and we are hit with guilt.  Oops, I forgot to pray.  Or if we are lucky we go about two or three days before they slip our minds and from the "prayer list".  And in the end we look at it all, no matter which side of the fence you are on, and we feel incomplete. Something is not what it should be.  

There are a couple people I believe are truly know are loving me with prayer.  One is still my best friend, the only person I have ever really trusted, despite the fact we are distant and it is hard for them to be in this with me and the other because they love to pray more than anyone I know.  So for them it wasn't as arbitrary because their words and actions come together in an effort to bring a piece of heaven to my world.  I am not talking about the heaven where everything is perfect and painless.  Instead they are actively pursuing the idea of bring GOD closer to me because it is so hard for me to feel Him, see Him, even believe in Him.    God's full presence resides in Heaven and to bring Kingdom come for me would be people who stand in the gap, put themselves aside for mere moments and plead for a God to come nearer to one who is fallen.  

What would happen if we stopped, looked into the eyes of the fallen or the lost, and choose to stand in the gap with them.  The gap of their between them and God, the gap in their needs, the gap of their HEARTS.   I mean damn it people . . . . what if our lives and faith could feel like it is complete.   What if when we said all the "right things" that we would be passionate and obsessed to follow through because it bring a spirit of real life to not only them but us as well.

So this is what I will say to all this.  I am done saying, "I will pray for you".  Instead I am going to stop and know that God has power and love that is scary, almost an obsession, and choose to want to bring Him closer and stand in the gap with someone.  I am going to pray WITH people at John Stoddard when I am there. I am going to "embarrass" myself by praying publicly for people because they need it and they know they are not in it alone.  Or maybe make the time for people to be where they are and stop requiring people to be where I am in order to care for them.  Yes, it will be a little uncomfortable and I might not be a fan of everything but who am I to let religious pride be a reason to not care for some.   If you are not feeling convicted and are comfortable with that little feeling of incompleteness to your life and faith then this is just non-sense to you.  But start thinking about what saying when you say I will pray . . . you are telling someone you are going into God's presence for them. . . and if you take that lightly and think it is no big deal then . . . huh?  This isn't about being fake but instead about forgetting who God is and what we could have in our lives.