read the following excerpt in Brennan Manning's book, 'The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus', recently:
One hundred years ago in the Deep South, the phrase 'born again' was seldom used. Rather, the words used to describe the breakthrough into a personal relationship with Jesus were, 'I was seized by the power of a great affection.'
have been spending time thinking about my own relationship with Jesus, and whether i would characterize it with similar words. i find it curious that such mystical and deeply emotive language has been lost for so many of us. the common language of being 'born again' isn't entirely wrong or offensive, but in some ways it implies the not-so-practical notion that one's conversion results in an immediate alteration of who we are. theologically, i think our conversion choice does immediately realign us with God's redemptive mercy.
but salvation really is more than just being born; it's a lot like growing up.
and maybe that's why i like the idea of being 'seized' by a 'great (and transformative) affection'...because it implies His inherent work in me despite my best efforts to screw it up...in spite of my consistent languishing and immaturity.
all this brings john wesley's language to mind...how he found his heart 'strangely warmed' when encountering jesus' powerful grace. and today, when it's cold and rainy outside, this is what i seek. i long for the mystery of His love to centre me...to seize me...to warm the cold and inflexible parts of my heart.
i want to trust His mercy more than my own efforts.
1 comment:
Wow, the thought that I was captured by the intense affection of the Creator is phenominal!
That was a great thought that you shared there, I appreciate it. It made my day, broke some discouragement off and reawakened me out of dwelling on issues with friendships and life to the revelatory truth that I was literally dead and I am alive now by his intense pursuit after me!
Regarding the common christianese, 'being born again'. Well, I agree, we do need to use more descriptive language to what it really was. But at the same time, being 'born again' (from John 3:7) is still a mystery in itself. Now you see, Jesus said this to the people surrounding Him because to them it related to them.
Born again in Greek translates as 'from above' or 'anew'. And he explained how a person cannot understand or enter the Kingdom of God without being 'from above' and made 'anew'. Because after we have been captured by His love we experience a spiritual birth this time as oppose to our first one was physical.
In Christian culture, this expression is used as one of the most common ways to describe becoming a Christian. It seems like we got stuck on that one phrase when in the bible God uses many ways to describe this incredible transformaiton...
becoming a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17)
rescued from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (can't find scripture reference)
Chosen by God to bear fruit(John 15:16)
Predestined before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless(Ephesians 1:4,5)
The list could go on and on.
In closing, the purpose is my commentary is that we do indeed need to use more of a descriptive language when we are using our relationship with the Creator. That simply flows out of knowing Him intamately ourselves. When we are not excited and have fallen asleep it is too easy to become indifferent, as a result, when someone asks us of the hope we have; we really do not know how to describe it because maybe it's dead! :S
So let us snuggle up in the lap of Jesus and hear his heartbeat once again for us. For then our hearts will beat in unison and the phrases that were once beatin to death in our songs and sermons will be reilluminated and we will be once again siezed by the power of a great affection.
Laurella
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