Are We Incapable of Honoring Good?
A THREE MINUTE READ - BASED ON A STORY I SUSPECT IS PARTIALLY TRUE.
Let’s face it. We have a storied past when it comes to even recognizing good. And that goes back many thousands of years. Remember the Garden of Eden where the first Empire apple was reportedly eaten? The words describing that paradise had passed through countless mouths and ears before they were ever even written down. They all suggested that Adam and Eve had it really good, but they were just clueless as to how good. So, they wanted more.
Maybe good has always been at odds with the status quo since the latter carries a lot of baggage. Within those vaults of sameness lies an illusion of safety which can’t evolve to adapt to changing times, science, or even the introduction of actual facts.
Consider that the trajectories of human behavior and beliefs have always resisted change. Momentum in any direction, be it fruitful or counter-productive, is always hard to break. The more comprehensive the issue, the more challenging the redirecting of that momentum.
SO, imagine living a couple thousand years ago when some unemployed carpenter comes along and publicly declares that life isn’t about getting ahead. Full stop, WHAT? Considering that he was virtually surrounded by really poor people who lived hand-to-mouth, you’d think that such a guy would be followed by a couple crazies at best. But the numbers of so-called believers grew from an initial dozen into thousands over just three years. You remember, back then, people were desperate.
Poverty, corruption, and violence were interwoven throughout their society. Fear and distrust were at unparalleled levels. People were at the mercy of those who had bought, threatened, or killed their way to the top. And this carpenter guy came along and actually had the cajónes to challenge their way of thinking.
He had rapport, he had gumption, and he had something novel to say. They were all ears! Unfortunately, some of those ears belonged to the Roman soldiers who were tasked with keeping the masses in check. And apparently the orthodox religions were tremendously helpful in that regard back then.
Word around that time was that this thirtyish-year-old guy grew up not too far from Jerusalem. Though he embraced his strict Jewish heritage, he had the audacity to state, like it was fact - “the kingdom of God is within you.” Outlandish - I know, but I’m just passing along a story that got buried in a 2000-year-old book.
Mind you, everyone back then was convinced that God lived “up there, in heaven!” They could almost see Him and his gold throne, if they squinted just right, on a crystal-clear day. The words of this radical were nothing short of blasphemous, and the ultimate heresy to so many. But especially to the powers that be. He had to have known that he was treading on thin ice, even though he had never seen any.
Not surprisingly, he owned nothing himself. So, people listened as he talked up poor people giving all they could to people who had even less. Nonetheless, it was still pure lunacy! I can easily envision the bystanders mumbling - but what’s in it for me? He particularly leaned toward helping the most downtrodden and marginalized people of his day. Like people with contagious and fatal diseases like leprosy! Ooh, let me sign up for that one!
King amongst his absurd ideas was that a meaningful life was centered around serving others. Anybody with half a brain could see that that idea wouldn’t sell. To be served was to have arrived. Being waited upon was surely the foundation of happiness. Funny thing, he never really talked about happiness, and yet he exuded joy. He was a man of wit and engaging stories. Word around town was that he once turned a huge jug of water into a fine aged wine.
In spite of his bizarre, ridiculous teachings, the crowds kept getting larger and larger. And people started spreading his teachings far and wide. But he continued talking like a lunatic saying things such as - “when someone hits you on one side of your head, turn and offer the other . . .he that lives by the sword, dies by the sword.” Common sense seemed to constantly evade him.
Can you imagine what kind of a world we would live in today if more people had actually taken in such foolishness?
For readers who may have never picked up a Bible for fear that it might bite, I suggest that you read it with cautious discernment. If you’re intrigued by the guy they called Jesus, start with Chapter 5 of the Book of Matthew which is toward the back of the Bible. Consider that it was collected over hundreds of years, translated and then assembled by a bunch of flawed old guys with their own agendas.
To put things in perspective, keep in mind that a very powerful person has usurped this “sacred text” for his own purposes and cash this very week. Imagine that this corrupting process has been in the works for thousands of years, albeit never with such sacrilegious fervor.
I guess I’d most like to imagine that the folks today who profess a belief in and intention to follow the words of this guy actually did. Even a little.
"Poverty, corruption, and violence were interwoven throughout their society. Fear and distrust were at unparalleled levels. People were at the mercy of those who had bought, threatened, or killed their way to the top." And how is this any different from today? Shall I assume that without the teachings of the Christ it would be a thousand times worse than it is?