Earthquakes

My wife advised me recently that she wanted to see a movie. We reviewed the choices and I was somewhat surprised that she chose San Andreas, an earthquake disaster movie. As is true far too often, she made a wise decision. It was a fun couple of hours as we watched huge shifts in the earth’s substructure cause massive destruction. I’m not sure what it says about us that we enjoy watching mass destruction but there you have it.

One of the lines in the movie struck me. The quake expert, when asked about whether a massive earthquake was possible responded, “It’s not a question of ‘if’ but of ‘when.'”

Doesn’t it seem to you that something massive is going to happen? Doesn’t it seem like it will be sooner than later?

I also like the “tags” used to market the movie, “Where will  you be? Who will you be with?” I guess it should be “whom” but it’s Hollywood not Harvard.

If something massive is about to happen, I know with whom I wish to be. I’m not sure where I’m suppose to be. I hope that clears up soon.

Massive shifts seem inevitable. Things are at a tipping point. They can’t keep going the way that they are. That’s obviously true economically and politically, both nationally and internationally. I think it’s also true of the Church.

I don’t think I’m alone when I note that the Body of Christ doesn’t look at all like Christ.

Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God and He referred to love, humility, and service. Since Constantine, the church seems to be more about pride, and power and control. We, the church, talk about separation of Church and State, but we mean leave us alone to do what we want. What we seem to want is to be in control. That’s not working. That doesn’t sound like Jesus’ plan.

It seems that what has become the church is less relevant than ever when the Kingdom Christ called for is needed more than ever. I don’t know about you, but I think I need to go back to basics. I think I need to reconsider what it means to be a Christian. I’ve already decided that term doesn’t work any more. I need to go  back and read the words in red in the gospels, the things that Jesus said. I need to forget about what we assume church is about and learn what the Kingdom is supposed to be about. I need to hear Jesus say “Follow Me” and know, maybe for the first time, exactly what that means. I don’t think it means what I’ve thought for sixty-six years.

It’s not “if” but “when.” Whom will I be with? Where will I be?