Jesus didn't respect church

Have you seen that sign?  At the end of the second floor hallway at Lutheran West, taped to a window, is a simple piece of paper with the words “Jesus Loves You” printed on it.  I have no idea who put it there.  When it went up about a year ago I thought to myself, “That’s cool.”  It wasn’t an advertisement or anything.  It was just a cool reminder of Jesus’ love. 

But then it never came down. 

I was just up at LW yesterday.  Like every summer, they clean, wax, and repaint nearly everything.  Yet, no one took that sign down.  I don’t know about you, but after about a month of passing it every day, my thoughts about the sign went from, “That’s cool” to “Are they going to leave it up all year?”  Apparently.  It had lost its significance I think. 

So, why won’t anyone take it down?

I think it’s because we all have a tendency toward being superstitious.  No one wants to be the one to remove the Jesus sign.  Ever walk through a church sanctuary all alone and get a little spooked?  Have you noticed that people get a bit jumpy if you drop a Bible on the floor?  These are all sacred things, right?

Jesus didn’t respect…church.

If there’s one object that people think is sacred and holy it is a church building, especially the front.  As a kid, my wife thought God lived there!  I mean, the pastor in some churches even turns to face the altar (sounds a little pagan, doesn’t it?) when talking to God. 

So, if God sends His Son to teach, heal, and reach out to people, you’d think He would do a lot of it in church buildings (synagogues in His case).  Yet, there are very few cases where He did that.  Almost every recorded act of note Jesus did in very unsacred places: boats, cities, roads, houses, dinner parties, weddings, hillsides, gardens, and near lakes. 

So, if church buildings and faded “Jesus Loves You” signs aren’t sacred, what is? 

You want to know what sacred?

You are.

You want to know what is special?

You are.

You want to know what is holy?

The person in the next room.

You want to know what is divine?

The person who will sit next to you in math class this fall.

Where is the Kingdom of God?

Jesus said it is within you.  You carry it around.  That’s why we should give honor, respect, and love to people, not buildings and statues.  Because, ultimately, the real “Jesus Loves You” sign should be…you.

Idol?

I really loved Mr. Fenske's chapel message today.  I think it is a challenge to ask ourselves: what would fill this blank?  "Without ____________ I couldn't live." 

I feel that this is a bit more black and white than life is really like, though.  There are many things that I would put in this blank: "Without _____________ I can't imagine living."  There are things that are so much a part of the fabric, the tapestry, that we call our "life."  To pull one strand out is to change the image of that tapestry forever.  Jesus yearns for us to find, give, and receive love, not just with himself, but with others too.  And for that reason, things that go in this blank do not necessarily become idols.

Yet, we ought to be wary of the things that fill that blank.  The things that go there go so close to our heart that they can change us.  That can be wonderful or that can be tragic, or in some cases, pathetic. 

Still, there is a difference between: "Without ________ I couldn't live."  and "Without _________ I can't imagine living."  If we lose things in the first blank, we have lost our 'god.'  Life becomes meaningless and we lose sight of our value to the world around us.  If we lose things in the second blank, we may be destroyed, utterly, yet at the base of all the rubble and when the dust settles we can say, "To Whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life." 

Only one thing fits in the first blank.  "Without my Father I couldn't live."  Everything in the depth of our souls knows that this not only fills in the blank, but erases the blank entirely.