I want to be real

I’m working with a small group of teenagers. I asked the question the other day, “What are the characteristics of a religious person?” I got the response I had expected, “They go to church, they put money in the collection plate, they don’t cuss, etc.” Even as they were answering, however, they knew where we were going with it. You see, we’d been looking at the book of James. He defines pure and undefiled religion as looking after orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself from being polluted by the world. When was the last time anyone asked me how I was doing in the care of orphans category?

I want to be real.

I want to be concerned with the things that matter.

There seems to be an abundance of superficiality these days. It manifests itself in the way we spend our time and in the things we obsess over. Is my energy spent debating the color of new carpeting for a church building or am I over at a friend’s house as she helping with her sick children? Do I need to peruse the shelves at Books A Million one more time for the latest Christian bestseller, or should I be helping a young man study for his GED? Do I need to hear another sermon on the divorce/remarriage issue, or do I get down on my knees on behalf of those hurting from not only broken relationships but also from ostracism from Christ followers?

God help me, I want to be real.

The other day I watched Happy Feet with Chad, my autistic 19 year old. I know some say that this movie is supposed to be an endorsement of the homosexual lifestyle, but I don’t see it. After all, the main character has an object of desire, and she certainly isn’t male. Anyway, I loved the evening spent with Chad. He chattered through the whole movie, totally enjoying this peculiar penguin and his dancing escapades. That’s because my own little odd bird also has a dancing heart. On occasion, he shares that heart with me.

This was a night that mattered.

In a class one night, our preacher remarked that one of the things He loves about God is that He seems to turn everything upside down. He used the procession that followed Jesus into Jerusalem His last week as an example. The crowd was made up of prostitutes and tax collectors and the lame. You know, those that the rest of us tend to turn away from. I loved his comments and I thought to myself, where do I fit in that crowd? Am I one of the sinners following Jesus, or am I one of the Pharisees shaking my head in disapproval? Way too often I look in the mirror and see the phylacteries hanging from my wrists.

Pharisee or sinner, we’re all in need of God’s grace. Lord, help me to be real.

I continued to think about that procession. Thinking about my own life, I was a little disgusted. There are very few prostitutes in my life. I tend to hang out more with a different sort. Don’t get me wrong, I need virtuous women in my life; they inspire me and hold me accountable. But can I really be a disciple of His, if I’m uncomfortable getting my hands dirty? Am I splashing in mud puddles while Christ is calling me to dive into something much wilder?

I want a life that matters. I want to be real.