14 Attach yourself to Christ

 

Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  

 I have been reading a book on how to think like a psychologist. There is mention that one of our human reactions is to wrap our self up in our ego and hold firmly to that in order to find an identity we can be happy with. I recognised myself when reading this, whether it was associating with my favourite football team, or identifying with my favourite type of music or bands or trying to act like how I felt I should as a Father. For most of us we go through periods like this and they may only last a short time or vary in how much we wish to identify. In the last few months I have noticed something really troubling. Donald Trump appears to have highlighted the division in USA politics. If that were the only thing it may not be too upsetting, after all it is natural in a democracy to have people hold a differing view. Of course the hope is that in any civilised society is that we respect others right to their view and hopefully we try to find common ground or understand the other's view. Sadly I have heard people I normally would have seen as respectful and intelligent stand firmly on one side and relentlessly back their chosen politician, dismissing any argument against them, not by facts but by anything they could find on the internet to back their view. They are deeply uninterested in anything that may confound their belief that there is no fault in their represented choice. Perhaps they feel it would somehow cast doubt upon their own lives or choices. I have heard football supporters verbally attack supporters of other teams as scum or low life, never realising or accepting that most supporters are very much alike whoever they support.

This is not a new phenomenon. The crowds who called for the crucifixion of Jesus, or in this passage from Acts, the hostile persecution from Saul. Saul was an intelligent man and well versed in Jewish scripture. He had heard of Jesus but Jesus this did not fit his personal or scriptural view of who or what the Messiah might be. Jesus did not fit Saul's profile nor did he reinforce the notion of who God was to Saul. Therefore in order to serve his own thoughts on who God is, Saul set about persecuting Christians, believing them to be false prophets. Of course we see that again today in the many instances of terrorism or wars in the name of God or Allah. 

On a very personal level we also find people within the church holding on to very firm ideas of what they think God is doing or is like. They deny others experiences. Some people preach against things like depression and mental health issues or physical disabilities, believing this can only be from a lack of faith. They believe people who do not walk according to their interpretation of scripture simply cannot be Christians. God is always more gracious than we can ever imagine. His love is greater than we could ever love anyone. His understanding is greater than that of all the philosophers ever lived and his wisdom outshines every scholar put together. God wants us not to identify with a particular church, a particular preacher, or a certain writer. Yes he wants us in fellowship, but he wants us to use Jesus as our role model, to love, care and speak of His love for mankind and the sacrifice made on our behalf. Paul believed what he was doing was for God, when actually it was only to reinforce his warped belief system. God calls us not to attach ourselves religiously to a sports team, a pop group or even to our possessions, but to realise who we are in His world, His creations, His children, The apple of His eye.