Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
"Love thy neighbor has thy self" is just a soundbite unless we "did it to one of the least of these my brothers", which is indicative of a life-long manner of living. And most importantly, the love of God - the true love of God put into action - is done without personal fanfare or even acknowledgement in this life. Remember that "the righteous", almost incredulous at the giving of the Lord's reward, said "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you?..."
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It is life-long, as you say, and it is continuous. We know not the day nor hour that our Master returns, and if we expect to be found "so doing", a la Matt. 24:46 and Luke 12:37, 43.
So what is this love being shown? Jesus said, "I was sick and you cared for Me, and in prison and you visited Me, and hungry and you fed Me. I was thirsty and you gave Me drink." Now, this care, visiting, feeding and so forth is entirely possible to be seen in two aspects. One of course is physical. People are sick, and in jail, and hungry and cold. So if we merely wave them off with, "Be warmed and be filled", what is our blessing?
But there is a second part that is equally real. It is the spiritual dimension. There is spiritual care, visitation, feeding, clothing, housing, shepherding. And this is what I was specifically referencing previously. The Christ that we share is not static, but entirely dynamic. Jesus met no one's needs, but was the transparent vector, or conduit, for the Father to take care of His children. Likewise we are not supposed to interfere, but rather present this dynamic Christ to those whom God places us with. And this may be LC saints, unbelievers, Christians in various groups and places. We'll see the gamut of folks from the confused to the religious know-it-alls.
The key is, I believe, not to say, "You are wrong" (because we all are wrong), but rather to say, "Come and see the Christ that I view!" And this Christ is and should be leading you deeper into the Father's mysteries. And this leading is occurring in the flock. The LC has walled themselves off from the flock - no wonder they are in such shape. We who are connected to the larger Christian polity have eyesalve to give, food, water, clothing, and comfort.
I have been working with some Muslims for several years now, and we are tentatively acknowledging God together. One of them recently asked me, "Have you seen the television program about Jesus Christ?" I guess one of the cable channels had been running something. I confessed that I hadn't seen it, but maybe had seen a promo running. So I was vaguely aware.
The Muslim said, "We believe that Jesus Christ was a prophet, and it is not right to portray a prophet like that. It is disrespectful." I admitted that God's commandment included restrictions against graven images, and some Christians, myself included, believe that includes religious imagery like crosses, paintings and so forth. So accepted her censure.
The dynamic Christ will allow a Muslim to reprimand me for violating God's command. The religious me would never allow this. But God is dynamic, and arranges all, and all of the arrangement is profitable. It took me years of interacting with Christianity, post-LC, to begin to open to God, but when I started to get fed it was truly wonderful. Suddenly I had food to offer others! I really felt like that Samaritan woman - I wanted to run around and shout, "Come and see! Come and see!" It is the most blessed thing to feel that God is speaking to me, little old me. Nobody me, and God is coming down to share His heart in Jesus Christ. It's really too tremendous. And this is not in a vacuum, but in the flock.
I love the story of the old hermit living in a hole in the desert. He had renounced all worldly goods and things. Every now and then a package would arrive from a rich old lady in Rome (this was in the 4th century). He'd get some sustenance or things for practical care. Then he would write her a letter. These letters are full of his desert visions. He was not alone. He was, in spirit, with a little old lady from Rome, and she with he. His visions were not in a vacuum, but in the body of Christ, and for the body of Christ. We cannot overstress that Jesus Christ is revealed in the collective.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome