The Story

"Once upon a time there was a good and kind king who had a great kingdom with many cities. In one distant city, some people took advantage of the freedom the king gave them and started doing evil. They profited by their evil and began to fear that the king would interfere and throw them in jail. Eventually these rebels seethed with hatred for the king. They convinced the city that everyone would be better off without the king, and the city declared its independence from the kingdom."

"But soon, with everyone doing whatever they wanted, disorder reigned in the city. There was violence, hatred, lying, oppression, murder, rape, slavery, and fear. The king thought: What should I do? If I take my army and conquer the city by force, the people will fight against me, and I'll have to kill so many of them, and the rest will only submit through fear or intimidation, which will make them hate me and all I stand for even more. How does that help them - to be either dead or imprisoned or secretly seething with rage? But if I leave them alone, they'll destory each other, and it breaks my heart to think of thepain they're causing and experiencing."

"So the kind did something very surprising. He took off his robes and dressed in the rags of a homeless wanderer. Incognito he entered the city and began living in a vacant lot near a garbage dump. He took up a trade - fixing broken pottery and furniture. Whenever people came to him, his kindness and goodness and fairness and respect were so striking that they would linger just to be in his presence. They would t4ell him their fears and questions, and ask his advice. He told them that the rebels had fooled them, and that the true king had a better way to live, which he exemplified and taught. One by one, then two by two, and then by the hundreds, people began to have confidence in him and live in his way."

"Their influence spread to others, and the movement grew and grew until the whole city regretted its rebellion and wanted to return to the kingdom again. But, ashamed of their horrible mistake, they were afraid to approach the king, believing he would certainly destory them for their rebellion. But the king-in-disguise told them the good news: he was himself the king, and he loved them. He held nothing against them, and he welcomed them back into his kingdom, having accomplished by a gentle, subtle presence what never could have been accomplished through brute force."
(story from "a Generous Orthodox"
by Brian D. McLaren pg.57-58)
Look the book up sometime.

Guilt with a capital G

The other day I was driving to my parents house to have a weekly lunch with them. Isn't it funny how you can be driving and your mind wonders onto the most trival things that end up creating a very profound thought in yourself. So as I drive by another obsessive billboard trying to sell me a hamburger an old conversation I had with someone long ago manifests itself. "You know Ryan I think it is interesting how you have gone so churchy and I have gone the total opposite more troublesome route." was what she said to me after I hadn't seen her in over 5 years. This came out of the mouth of a girl that was a childhood friend who moved away and I barely talked to in years. Well she came into town one weekend and we descided to get together. Needless to say she had really changed and as you can see how she thought about me and herself. This sentense just sat in my mind for a good couple of minutes til I realized what God was saying to me. Humanity knows they are doing the wrong thing talk about it constantly but still are unwilling to change. Why? One word comes to mind GUILT. How many of us have done something wrong, have sinned? EVERYBODY! and what comes with sinning, guilt. I wonder if have the time what causes us to sin again and again and again is not that God doesn't forgive us (because he does) but that we lack in forgiving ourselves. Which ultimately leads to this view of God as a judge and jury that has a handbook of rules and if you break them you are thrown away like a rage doll. This seems to be the view of most of the world and even christians. How do we come back to the point of seeing that Jesus' came to set us free not to condem us. He tells us this in the Bible. Guilt plagues me dayly and dayly I have to realize that Jesus died for my sins and the sins of the world to set us free. Know I must forgive myself and love who God has made me to be. I have lost my train of thought so if this is lost any real sense forgive me. Hopefully more later.