Amazing the difference one letter can make, isn't it? I read Bonhoeffer's classic treatment on discipleship in seminary and later again in my early pastoral days. If you haven't read it, you should; not as a burdensome thing, but some books just deserve to be read in this life and that's one of them.
I'm pretty much convinced that if you and I have any intention of being a Christ-follower in this life, then we're going to have to get used to discipleshit. What exactly is that, you ask? One of F. Buechner's books describes Christ as the dung-eater . I can remember reading that and thinking, Yeah, that's pretty much what it is...continually eating the crap of the world and being able to come back for more; all the pain, hurt, agony, abuse, and the list goes on.
Discipleshit is the stuff that you and I encounter daily that stinks, reeks, smells, hurts, burns our eyes and our hearts, kidney-punches us, and just plain makes us want to give up. Call it what it is - shit, dung, crap; all those words which describe the waste of our lives. And the thought that you and I might move beyond that stuff this side of the blessed Jordan river? Well, that's a load of crap or dung or shit. As long as we are here, in-carnated Christ-followers, men and women who are earthbound and not left-behind series bunkered up somewhere - we'll keep stepping and sliding in, being taken aback by, and getting IT thrown at us. The crazy thing is you'll get about as much of that from church-folk as you will raging pagans out there. And you'll probably produce a decent amount yourself. Commit yourself to a local church for any amount of time and guess what'll pop up? Yep, shit. Shucks, commit yourself to anything in this life: wife, husband, kids, relatives, job, pets...sooner or later, something will start smelling.
I don't expect for this phrase to take off in christian publishing or anything; we like it clean and flowery smelling. Any hint of offal and we're scrambling for cleany-wipes and floral sachet fragrance spray. Don't get me wrong here - I hate shit as much as you do. But to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ, means having to deal with it. I remember reading somewhere that the student shouldn't expect more than the teacher...I just can't remember where?
I know just what you mean. I walked a beloved friend through a crushing grief this week, and much of it stems from the odious sin of incest. And yet, she was tender and broken. This was big shit. Huge. Stank! And there I was, trying to bring the grace where so many other "Christians" completely abandoned her, including her pastor who heaped what she believed to be Biblical curses at her. But isn't the incarnation about dwelling among the shit. And more than anything, I want to be incarnational. But God knows I fail.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear your voice here.