No Earthly Good
Just a quick post as I am late for work.
I love the music that those Passion guys church out every year. Probably too much.
A few months back, I managed to tune in to the Passion ‘07 sessions that Louie and company put up online for anyone that was not able to drive down to Atlanta this year… Amazing songs and energy from everyone. They raised millions of dollars for social relief and missions efforts as well. I was so encouraged to see the big boys of the Christian machine focussing on God’s call to justice in our world. And I was struck by this huge, weird seesaw thing. All of their energies between the sessions were about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick and oppressed, but then the main sessions were all about heaven. Like full on where we go when we die heaven. No mention of God’s Kingdom come, His will be done on EARTH, just a whole lot of glory glory daydreaming.
That bothered me. Why did they spend so much time talking about floaty heaven??! I didn’t know what to make of it. They spelled out how much we need to be here (SOCIAL GOSPEL!). Teeter. They OVEREMPHASIZED(?) how much we should be looking toward our final resting place. Totter.
But, actually, now looking back it kind of makes sense. By that, I mean, I don’t get it, but that’s ok.
“(21) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (22) But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. (23) But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; (24) yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake” - St. Paul, Philippians 1:21-24
Know what I mean??!?
