G. C. Jeffers

There are those angry voices out there, shouting that Jesus “demands obedience” and we need to get “radical” and if you are a “real” Christian then you aren’t a “nominal” Christian and that means you have an “urgency” to save souls while selling all that you own and giving it to the poor.

Bullshit.

“My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Jesus

* * *

I used to be part of that whole system, you know? We used to say things like “the Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing” and “the hope for the world is the local church.” We used to draw distinctions between “they” whose faith was shallow and “us” whose faith was real.

The Spirit of God was moving, back then, and everything had cosmic significance: waging that spiritual war against the dark forces of this dark world. And miracles abounded. And we were all about “discipleship.”

And I grew weary of needing to produce and coming up short.

Of having to spiritualize every experience.

And I wondered how this had ever happened.

* * *

Today I try to live each day for itself. To treat others as I would want to be treated. To read the world as Grace, believing that Love wins.

I walk a rut each day, grace upon grace upon grace. Lord let me love.

And if I let those angry voices too far in, they will convince me that my daily work has no significance because it isn’t radical. That the people I chat with every day are nominal. And that God’s urgent mission to rescue the world will fail if I don’t get on board.

God, help me, I won’t let cynicism—that “failure of the Christian imagination”—win.

* * *

But I doubt.

And I believe in poetry.

And nature.

And basic goodness. Lord let me love.

And an inspired world that means.