Change of Framework

As I alluded to in my last entry, I have been experiencing a shift in how I talk about my faith. A change I did not expect coming into this summer, but one that I was aware in a sense needed to occur. Here’s some background.

I have framed my faith, my understanding of God and how I live out my faith in terms of discipleship. Maybe that means something different to everyone. But I have not traditionally conversed about faith in terms of my salvation because I don’t think it’s always a helpful way to start. Maybe I have been turned off by the doom and gloom of the way the salvation message has sometimes been portrayed. For me, discipleship means following the “Jesus Way,” and orienting myself to live that way out means acting for peace and justice. I guess when I speak of my faith, working for peace and justice is a central image.

Well, just as I see using the framework of salvation as unhelpful, others may find my peace and justice framework as unhelpful. I could be accused of not valuing salvation enough, or I am disregarded because I don’t use primarily salvation language. This is hard for me because I do value my relationship with Christ. And I believe that at the heart of a message of peace/Shalom is relationships; primarily my relationship with the Creator. I just think that to only emphasize salvation language gives an excuse to live only in that moment of salvation and forget that once we have accepted Jesus as Lord we are called to live in allegiance of another Kingdom. Not the one we belong to as US citizens, but the one we belong to as Christians.

So, this summer I have been challenged to connect with Christians who talk about their faith in different ways than I do. And I have been forced to think about the language I use and the framework I work from… and I’m creating a new framework.

As I mentioned, I think it’s important to look at peace/Shalom in the context of God in the Bible. At the heart of the story is God’s desire to be in right relationship with us, God’s people. We must accept God in Christ as Lord over all. This is the heart of the peace/Shalom message.

Then, as Christians, we examine how God is working in the Bible, and how God has worked through God’s people, and how Jesus teaches us to follow after him. To make this more clear, let’s look at some examples of God’s vision for shalom in the Bible. In Genesis 1 we have a picture of God’s vision, of Shalom. God’s creation lives together in relationship with each other, the land and with God. That’s the vision. Even after humans sin, we can look at the rest of the Old Testament as God not giving up on God’s people and working to call them back to that original vision. The New Testament tells us that Jesus came “preaching peace (Acts 10.36),” and Jesus points us back to the vision of shalom in Genesis.

As I learn more about who God is, it is clear to me that God wills the world to be different than it is today. Our relationship with Christ and the peace we have when we know Jesus as our peace (Eph 2.14) must transfer to other relationships. It must or we are not taking seriously the Gospel message.

I am finding that I value more and more my peace with God. From that relationship, from my time with God in prayer, I find the energy and the joy for sharing God’s vision for Shalom.

Peace with God leads to peace with ourselves, with other people, and with creation. This is not a list that you check off but the results of seeking to be in relationship with God. The Spirit transforms our lives and our relationships. Our lives embody the things that we seek in our relationship with God: healing, hope, caring, sharing, listening, learning and being open to what others have to teach us. And these qualities are not just for our friends, but for our “neighbors,” our “enemies,” and those we don’t know.

Elizabeth