Dearest e-votees-
Who do people say that you are? How are you known? What are you called? What is the lasting impression that people have? If they had to sum you up in one word what would they choose?
Who do you want to be? How do you want to be known? What would you like to be called? What is the lasting impression you want people to have? If you could choose a word to sum you up which one would you choose?
How about we take a word out for a devotional spin? Let’s go with “LOSER” and see what God might say.
Peace,
Karl
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27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
I have a shirt like the one in the picture. I’m actually on my second such shirt since I wore the first one out. It comes from a ministry called Youth Enterprise. I picked them both up at the end of service-mission trips with Youthworks! Youth Enterprise is a ministry that teaches urban kids life and business skills with a faith perspective. The youth involved learn things like production, bookkeeping, marketing, shipping, etc., etc. The shirts they sell have one word on the front and an accompanying scripture verse on the back. This particular shirt has Matthew 10:39 -Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. This verse deeply resonates with Mark 10:35 above.
When I wear the shirt people inevitably make comments, raise eyebrows and sometimes engage in conversation. Here is one such exchange:
We were touring the Liberty Bell after serving a week with Youthworks! in Philadelphia. I had on my shirt. The elderly woman behind the counter saw my shirt and said “Oh, you’re not a loser.” I suggested that she might want to read the back. As I turned she said “Oh, you are a loser. But it is the good kind!”
We are called to be losers. We are called to shed the expectations that the world puts on us that kick against God’s superior vision for our lives. We are called to lose ourselves in our baptisms and find ourselves in the empty tomb. We are called to associate with the outcasts, the lepers, the broken, the misfit toys, the unclean and the unsavory—the losers—and count them among our friends, our families and our communities.
There is a movie: Facing the Giants that came out in 2006. If you don’t want the movie spoiled for you, stop reading and we’ll see you next week…
The gist of the movie is that a loser, ragtag coach and his football team are headed nowhere fast. Then, they stumble upon the idea that whether they win or whether they lose they will do everything for the Lord. Sure enough everything turns around: they win the football championship, coach gets a new truck, the coach’s wife who was unable to conceive, etc. etc. Basically they get everything for following after God. This strand of theology has a name—Theology of Glory.
I find it much more intriguing to think about what it means to lose to the glory of God. Clearly the cross of Christ is such a place. Mother Teresa’s life has a loser quality to it. Remember the softball players carrying their opponent around the bases when she injured herself?—clearly that’s losing to the glory of God, especially when you hear their motivation. This strand of theology—losing in order to bring glory to God has a name—Theology of the Cross.
The path that God opens to us may not be one that looks like winning in the world—that’s just fine. The call to the cross of Christ will certainly bring about death—that’s what crosses do. We may well lose things, relationships and places of honor in the world—God will take care of us.
God, help us to cling tenaciously to you and let everything else take its rightful place even if that is in the lost & found bin. Stir us to find our lives in you. Amen.
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