DAY 201

ON THE OUTSIDE

Psalm 23, 24 & 25 and Acts 21:18-40

We don’t think of being Christian or Christianity as being on the outside, but from the beginning it has been counter to the prevailing culture. Remarkably, Christianity comes from Judaism, itself a minority culture on the outside of society.

Psalm 23 declares that it is the Lord, not a king or a nation or a society that is our shepherd and guide, but the very Ruler and Creator of all. Psalm 24 declares the same asking “Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty.” Psalm 25 cries out “In you O Lord I put my trust.”

Standing on the shoulders of Judaism, Christianity burst onto the world stage a mere 2,000 years ago. Some people believe that “modern humans” have been around for 200,000 years. Christianity’s story though is not a new fangled story, it is the story of God calling to His creation. He has been doing that since the time of Adam. The story reached its apex “when the fullness of time had come” with God sending His own Son to live and die among us only to rise from the dead in order that we might have life.

Paul has arrived at Jerusalem after traveling all over the Mediterranean telling this story and having huge success (albeit amid persecution). He goes to the Temple and a large disturbance has developed. He has gotten himself arrested. He is outside the cultural norms of the day. This chapter closes with him about to speak to the people. What do you think he is going to say? By now I bet you can guess.

What is remarkable, and yet I need to stop being surprised, is how this “story” is one that is always on the outside. Certainly Europe and North America have for centuries by led largely by a culture that is informed by a Judeo-Christian view, but even during that time I think the world was more governed by institutional norms, then transformed lives of people trying to follow Jesus.

Followers of God: Father-Son-Holy Spirit…Followers of Jesus…will most often be “on the outside.” We need to get use to it, and when we find ourselves on the inside, we need to double check ourselves. Being a priest, I am certainly on the inside of the institutional church, the challenge for me is that I need to be spending more time on the outside in the world telling people the story.