I’ve been in ministry now for 8 years and one thing that has become clear to me in this amount of time is that the image that we project out into the world can mask much darkness. Human beings who believe in God and believe that they are doing God’s work can easily justify anything. How often do we do something that we wanted to do all along and then attach God’s name on to it as if that makes it all okay? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t guilty of this myself but I am. Do what I want and then tack on God’s name as my legitimizer. It’s a great tactic of ab-users. The reason is that it’s hard to argue with someone who invokes God’s name in emotional circumstances and situations. That’s what makes it so confusing. That’s how it works.
The Pharisees claimed that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub and his family said he was out of his mind. He didn’t subscribe to the normal narrative. Accordingly, the Pharisees were considered the blessed, the sons of the light, and the keepers of the great tradition. They were the faithful and they truly meant well. They were ab-users, though. They divorced their wives for better ones that brought more status and wealth. They devoured widows’ houses to keep their way of life going. They loved banquets, they loved to socialize, and they loved to network. All of these things were for good because it could serve their children and their grandchildren well in the future. All of this revealed that God was on their side and that they were blessed. Ab-users wouldn’t want you to think otherwise, even though they left a trail of destruction behind. Their image was great, the rest sucked, but you’re not supposed to know that. That’s what social media is good for. Press releases are a God send. Triangulation is the best way to distract and push forth.
It’s not an accident that after being accused of being in cahoots with Satan and of being out of his mind that the Markan Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Image is one thing, words are another, but actions speak much louder than anything else we can come up with. How you live, how you behave, how you treat others reveals what you really believe, where your true allegiance lies. The rest…well…
A Foolish Way 