Complicated

So I meet with a group of men once a week. We dive into the Word and talk about life and walking the Path. It’s a wonderful, wonderful time with fellow sons and warriors! So we started a new study last night. Revelations. After last night’s conversation, I am really excited to keep digging into this.

But, we were talking and a few things came up. It’s interesting to me how many Christians seem to avoid The Book of Revelations. Something sort of popped into my head last night, a word He spoke to my heart and now, I just don’t get it. Why are so many Christians afraid of this book? I mean, I know there is some deep stuff in there and some really apocalyptic images but really, it’s not a complicated book. I think too many wanna-be theologians and over zealous Christians try too hard.

So, anyway, we were sitting there talking about all this last night and this whisper came in my heart. So, I said to the guys, “I really don’t see what all the fuss is about. If you stop all the trying to figure out all the symbolism and reading between the lines, this book is really simple. This book is simply about Jesus. Period.”

But, here’s the thing really. I think we who call ourselves Christians have really overcomplicated this whole Christianity thing. We’ve kind of created this gaudy monstrosity that just really over-burdens people I think. And it just kinda gives me a headache. I mean, since when did Jesus put all these rules on people and make things so complicated? Didn’t the Pharisees do that? And didn’t Jesus blast them for that?

I actually think Jesus made things real simple for us. Well, for me He did, cause I’m not always the brightest crayon in the box. But, He made things pretty simple for his disciples as well. He told them to follow, love God with all they were, love others and then go out and tell people about Him.

That’s not complicated. I mean, it can be really difficult to do but it’s not complicated. So, maybe we need to kind of “dumb it down” here. Maybe we need to get back to the basics. And those are really simple:

Follow
Love
Go tell others

Christ came to love us, redeem us, rescue us from our bondage to ourselves. To set us free. So why are we volunteering for slavery to religion, to lists and whatever else comes along? In the end, this whole thing is about Jesus. It’s not about our churches or our denominations or our missionaries or anything like that. And I’m not saying those things are bad, I’m just saying that I think we’ve really overdone this whole thing.

Here’s what I know. When I met Jesus, everything in my life radically changed. Love has a way of doing that. When Love gets inside you, life changes. And, in the words of the immortal Forrest Gump, “I’m not a smart man but I know what love is.” I know what Love is and Love is simple. Love, aka that fellow named Jesus, just wants to bring you life and freedom. Love wants to give itself away for you. Love wants you to follow and then go tell everybody else what you found.

Now that’s not so complicated, right?