(Formal Greeting)/ Knee Deep in Filthy Rags

(A form of greeting in which you would think of me as an easy going and cool guy, ex: "What up dude?" or "What it do?" or "How are you man?". Something impressive to you. You choose.)

You see, that right there, is me. 100%. Analytical to the bone. Always thinking about the things that I say in order to convey an image to you of what I want you to think I really am. A really cool, dark haired guy, with a sense of humor and who just has a way with words.

Quite frankly, that's not me though. In fact I am the opposite in every regard. OCD. Pasty white skin. Weirdo. Epitome of Awkward. Mistakes himself for a rapper on many occasions. And on I could go..

But I am losing focus. This blog. What I want it to be. Obviously, i wouldn't be writing this if this were not for some benefit to me. Sometimes, it is good to write down my thoughts just so I don't think I am going mentally insane at points. And you think I am kidding. 

Also, I want to hear from you. I want your side of the story. Your life. Your insight. I already have mine. I am asking questions that are really coming from my mind and heart. I am throwing myself out there in an attempt to make contact with another world far beyond my reach, grasp, or imagination. That world is your heart and mind. 

Through our dialogue, I hope we can find encouragement, in agreement or disagreement, that we can find similarities and differences, and also that we can find out that we are not alone in our questions. That being said, (For those of you that have actually made it this far in the blog) I don't want to waste anymore of your time, so let's get down to business (to defeat . . . the Huns.). (Don't bother asking if you don't know.)

Isaiah 58 is a disturbing text for me. It disturbs me for this reason: it paints a fairly vivid picture of a religious people attending their Temple (church) daily and devoting themselves to various activities of worship and ritual, such as bowing their heads and dressing themselves in burlap and ashes. Yet, these same people will leave this place and cause division among themselves. 

Why disturbing? Imagine you are close up on a painting in a museum. You look at it and say to yourself, since you don't want anyone to hear you, that you think this is an ugly painting. The colors and brush strokes just seem to be thrown together in a arbitrary fashion without any sort of creative thought or carefulness. However, you decide to give it a second chance by moving out further to see how the colors and strokes work together to create the overall image. As you slowly back out, you begin to lose your breathe. You are horrified. The reason: the painting is actually a portrait of you. 

You see, I see Isaiah talking to the people of Israel in this text but as I back out, I get the horrifying feeling that God, in the bigger picture, is talking to me and to many people who sometimes "casually" call themselves Christians and think of church as an activity rather than an encounter with God that will change the world. 

I know you are thinking: Tyler, stop being overdramatic. You are reading into things. 

Am I? Read it for yourself: Isaiah 58:

They come to the Temple every day
      and seem delighted to learn all about me.
   They act like a righteous nation
      that would never abandon the laws of its God.
   They ask me to take action on their behalf,
      pretending they want to be near me.
 ³ ‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
      ‘Why aren’t you impressed?
   We have been very hard on ourselves,
      and you don’t even notice it!’

   “I will tell you why!” I respond.
      “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
   Even while you fast,
      you keep oppressing your workers.
 ⁴ What good is fasting
      when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
   This kind of fasting
      will never get you anywhere with me.
 ⁵ You humble yourselves
      by going through the motions of penance,
   bowing your heads
      like reeds bending in the wind.
   You dress in burlap
      and cover yourselves with ashes.
   Is this what you call fasting?
      Do you really think this will please the Lord?

 ⁶ “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
   Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
      lighten the burden of those who work for you.
   Let the oppressed go free,
      and remove the chains that bind people.
 ⁷ Share your food with the hungry,
      and give shelter to the homeless.
   Give clothes to those who need them,
      and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
      and your wounds will quickly heal.
   Your godliness will lead you forward,
      and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
 ⁹ Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
      ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

I am all for singing Hillsong, having funny videos, and sitting in my padded chair every Sunday. That is comfortable for me. It doesn't take that much effort to wake up a little early on Sunday morning and drive to church, where I am usually greeted with a  handshake and a buffet of donuts that I get to consume for free. I am all for attending Bible studies with my friends where we can freely discuss our faith without worry of punishment. I am all for giving a kind word to someone during the day or smiling at them or telling a joke to lift someone's spirits. This is all okay with me.

"But to change the world God? Come on. You have got to be kidding me. That is not what being a Christian is all about. It is about being a good person and being kind to everyone. Yeah, we have fights and I make mistakes on occasion, ok daily, but hey! no one is perfect. Did you not see me at church today? I was closing my eyes and actually singing today. I actually lifted my hands during a fast song, which never happens because I usually am too busy clapping! I have read my Bible for a straight month now every morning! I even quit my Facebook account for you! You can't be serious." And on and on we go...

I think we have foolishly fallen into the idea that this walk with Christ is like a self-help book ("Five Steps to a Better You"). And while, yes, I do believe that this relationship with Christ is infinitely beneficial to us, that is not the point. The point is that He may be glorified. Period. The fact that our lives our changed for the better in the process just shows how much He loves us and is gracious to us.  

I feel like we are knee deep in filthy rags as Isaiah would say. Isaiah 64:6

All of us have become like one who is unclean, 

   and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; 
we all shrivel up like a leaf, 
   and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

So what do we do? I love the band Switchfoot, and I think Jon Foreman's words apply here. 

"Where can you run to escape from yourself?

Where you going to go? Where you going to go?

Salvation is here.

I dare you to move!"

The answer, I truly believe, is not to get deeper into our theology, even though that is beneficial. It is not to invent more culturally acceptable worship experiences, although those can be powerful. It is not to pray for the perfect opportunity to come along to reach out a helping hand, though prayer is also powerful. 

I think we know plenty about God and His Son Jesus in order to put our thoughts and words into action. I think we have hid behind prayer long enough that God is just saying "GO!". I think we need to take Isaiah at his word: Free the wrongly accused, befriend the outcasted, feed the hungry, provide for the homeless, love our  families.  

Look. I am guilty of all this just as much as anybody. I think I fall in line with the quote from Sydney Smith that says," it is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can do little. Do what you can." Maybe my actions won't change the whole world, but they can change my community. Simple as that.

Just watch what God does. When our thoughts and words become action, that is when we are truly saved.

I believe that Isaiah and Jon Foreman would agree with this point "Salvation is here." At this moment and time, after we go out and change the world as God changes us, Salvation arrives.

I hope some of you made it to the end. If not, o well. I got my thoughts out. and I desperately needed it. You guys rock. Thank you for being a huge part of my life. I would not be the weird person that I am without you. I mean, I had to get my weirdness from somewhere right? Thanks for reading and please give me your thoughts. I joyfully look forward to reading. (Formal farewell which leaves the reader speechless and wondering "who is this guy?". In a mysterious and intriguing way of course.)