The title of this essay comes from a quote By Dan Allender. He was speaking about the frustration that a pastor feels and he said this, “Part of the exhaustion for most of us is trying to learn to live within the realm of the weariness of words. What can we say and still keep our jobs? Because we know at a very core level that the Scriptures are far wilder than any of us. And demand a level of honesty and engagement and, the bottom line, for most of us is, if we preach the Gospel, we’re fired. Our Churches can’t bear the Gospel, and so we must give the Gospel in small portions, long enough to get our kids through college.”
I love that quote, but, when I was a pastor, I always commented on that quote by saying that I have no kids to get through college, so I can be a little more radical. And I was. I spoke of radical love and honesty; of reaching out to those around us with relationships instead of cold, lifeless tracts and door knocking; and of the lies we live. And I was fired.
So, yeah, words are powerful, granted. Words can move armies and change minds. Words can whisper love or scream hate. Words, thoughts, and ideas proceed and produce actions. But, even though words have their power, words are not enough. Words are misunderstood, they aren’t listened to properly, they are filtered through our life experiences and knowledge—or lack of knowledge—and prejudices. They just aren’t enough.
Like, I cannot describe to you a sunset and that be enough that you never have to see it for yourself. Truth has to be experienced to become reality in us. By words you know that there is such a thing as a sunset, and that one person believes that it is beautiful. But, unless you stand in its presence and watch that giant, flickering circle of fire drop behind the earth, setting the world aflame with color as it goes, then it will never mean anything real to you. It will simply be an abstract idea.
On the same token, the Bible wasn’t enough. That doesn’t mean that everything it said isn’t true. That doesn’t mean that God didn’t send it. It just means that words are never enough.
Even though we have truth in the Bible, it still cannot fully convey God with its words. Words are not sufficient. If they were, God would have just sent this book. But, no, since words were not enough, he sent The Word.
Jesus.
John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” He is the Word. Jesus was all God had to say to us. What God had to say to us embodied in experience.
The word and the deed met perfectly once in history.
The Word.
I think a lot of our problem as Christians is that words are as far as we have gone. I know many people that know bible stories and have a grasp of theology. They can read Hebrew and Greek and win just about any argument you throw at them. But, that’s all they seem to have, are the words. Words point us to reality and it seems that we don’t go and experience that reality, we just say, “My, those are such beautiful words.” So, I move the question: are words enough? Is knowledge enough? Is it even in the same category as experience?
You see, they’re just telling you about a sunset that someone told them about. We’ve been told about that sunset for too long without seeing it for ourselves. Jesus came to show us God. Do you go to him regularly? I don’t mean, do you read about him, I mean do you come face to face with him? I mean, is he more than words to you? Is he more than a mere concept to you?
If God is just a concept then our faith is no more than a philosophy. If he’s just a set of rules then our faith isn’t much more than a prison or, at best, a societal lifestyle. If it just tells us who we should vote for or what party we should belong to, then it’s just a political movement.
But it’s more. He is more. So, then, that begs the question, “How does one experience God?”
Acts 17:27, “ so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near.”
Hebrews 11:6, “It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.”
So the answer seems to be that we find him by seeking him. Knowledge is a good thing. If I didn’t know about God by the words of God then I would not know to seek him. But, since I have the words that point to the reality, I must see and encounter him for myself. The words aren’t enough.
God can’t just be a notion, he must be a Father, a friend and a Savior. Our lives mustn’t be viewed as separated into religious and secular, job and church, faith and life, prayer and partying. God must be our lives. Tucking your children in at night must be viewed as just as sacred as worshipping with others in that building on Sunday. Life doesn’t include God. Life is God.
“Whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”
There is no separation of word and reality. If there is, the words are either lies—because they don’t point to something true—or we have simply never checked it out for ourselves.
Is your life about more than facts? Is the only way that people know you are a Christian is because you dress a certain way or don’t use certain words? Or do they know because the person you are lives God? In other words, ala Jesus, “Do they know you by your love?”
And, in case I didn’t make myself clear, you only get that love from him, personally.
