A QUIET REBELLION

“Christianity is an act of rebellion”.

Alice McDermott

This quote is my Christmas present.  How could an ole hippie who still lives in the 60’s not love this quote?  In this world that claims to comprehend God and has done a good job of taming Jesus into a politically correct guy who lives next door, this quote says “NO”.  It reminds me of my favorite line in Brother Sun and Sister Moon, when Frances is sitting in church looking at all the pomp and riches in the building and turns to see the beggars in the back, welcomed but not invited to join with the others.  He is strangling himself to keep quiet but suddenly yells out “NO” and leaves.

Jesus is presented as a really nice guy, full of love for everyone, who does really nice things for people.  People enjoyed listening to him talk, but did they really listen to what he was saying?  I watched the political debates this year and all I heard was fighting, yelling, and screaming about how this nation and the world needs changing.  Jesus came with a calmness and quietness about him, but his message was radical and revolutionary. 

Jesus came to change the world.  He did it in a quiet way but that didn’t make it any less dynamic.  It made it difficult for those who had been waiting for him to come and overpower the repressive government that they had been living under.  They wanted a conquering King, a violent overthrow of those in charge.  Needless to say they were disappointed when they heard him say, “Do not resist evil.  Love your enemies.” 

Jesus did not come to carry out a violent overthrow of the man made world’s system.  He came to bring forth a vigilant reordering of life according to the original plan of God at creation.  He came to carry out a restructuring of the way all people did things.  He came to lead a Quiet Revolution by transforming the hearts of people on the inside that would be revealed on the outside by how people treat God and how they treat one another. 

No story is without clues as to how things will proceed.  God gave clues in the very beginning of the story of Jesus Christ coming to earth.  A humble couple chosen to bring this child of God to life; a humble birth in a manger because there was no room in the Inn; the announcement going only to humble shepherds in the field watching over their sheep; humble Kings not threatened by the birth of a King, watching closely for his birth and bringing him what would be needed at his death, and disobeying the King of Jerusalem because they knew his heart and plans of destruction.  All these clues were showing this is not a continuing of the status quo and neither is it the fulfillment of the expectations of his people.  This was a Quiet Revolution in the making.  Yes, Christianity is an act of rebellion; against Satan, the status quo, and against the sin that keeps people separated from their God.  It was a Quiet Revolution that began in a whisper and will end in a shout when Jesus returns for a second time.  Oh how I look forward to that day.