Dale Cresap's blog

Do you find it disturbing to have your truth paradigms challenged? This can occur in two ways. You may find that there are precepts that you accepted that don’t stand up in real-life experience. You may also find that there is truth outside of your tradition. Are you prepared to reject things that don’t work and embrace those that do? Which of these do you find to be more difficult? Do you view your life as a journey in the pursuit of truth, and follow wherever it leads, continually refining and enlarging your understanding? Have faith.

Do you think of empathy and compassion as the same thing? They are similar, but there is a difference. Empathy is a feeling. Compassion implies a response, and this is the term you find in the Bible. Have you ever heard of someone being moved with empathy? Yet you have heard of people being moved with compassion. Movement implies action, and you should take this connection seriously. If you encounter someone whose situation is so bad that you want to respond, let yourself be moved with compassion and do something to assist them.

Do you like to view wild animals? You can see them in the zoo, but would you agree that it is better to encounter them in their natural habitat than in captivity? You take pictures of them and share them and your friends like them. There is something embedded in humanity that responds to the majesty of these great creatures. What is it, and why does this matter? Are you prepared to see this as a spiritual experience? They are part of my created order that reflects my glory.

Have you ever heard anyone say that they have been stabbed in the back, kicked in the guts, or are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders? You know that these are just metaphors, but each one refers to a physical bodily injury or burden. Have you ever felt physical pain from an emotional or spiritual wound? Your doctor may not be able to help you with this, but I can. Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Have you ever made a firm declaration that you would never deny me or fall away from the faith? Peter did, and he was wrong. You may have the best of intentions in all sincerity. Have you ever done anything that was contrary to prior intentions? I do not raise these questions to condemn you or discourage you, but to teach you. Do you think that your steadfastness in the faith is up to you? You do not hold yourself, but I hold you in the palm of my hand. An appropriate response would be humility and gratitude. You are a creature of grace.

You know about domestic violence and child abuse. Do you think that spiritual abuse is also a problem? How many atheists do you know that didn’t come from a religious background? At the end of the day they made a choice, but could it have been influenced or provoked by believers and the way they practice their faith? If you ask these people why they left, would you expect them to say the practices and organizations they saw were too true to my example and the things I taught? The Bible refers to those because of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of. Don’t be one of them.

Have you ever gone through a faith transition? Do you think it was beneficial for you? Did it feel more like  a crisis or an accomplishment? If it felt like a crisis you may have found it distressing but you can take comfort in knowing that I was with you and directing the process. If it felt like an accomplishment then it was probably all your own doing. You cannot bring about your own transformation. Your efforts towards this will leave you more firmly in control. Yet this is not a random event that affects some and not others.

Do you think my word says that money is the root of all evil? What it really says is that the love of money is the root of all evil, but not in a way to imply that other things cannot also be evil. It does say that you cannot serve God and mammon. Note this does not say that money is inherently evil. Have you ever met someone for whom making money is the single focus of their life? Whether they succeed or not, would you describe them as joyful? What about those who follow me? You can choose what you will follow but you will be influenced by it.

Do you think that Christ is my last name? You have a first and a last name and so may think it normal for the same pattern to apply to me, but this view isn’t completely accurate in my case. Here is a helpful way to think of  this. The Word (Christ) was made flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us. As Christ I inhabit eternity, as Jesus I walked and breathed among you. Both aspects were essential to my unique identity and mission, and so you have the mystery of the incarnation. There were relatively few people who knew me in the flesh. Do you regret that you were not one of them?

Have you ever engaged in a self-improvement project? How successful were you? This is a noble goal, but have you found that good intentions are not enough to transform your life? There is wisdom and maturity in realizing that you are not the captain of your fate, and that it is not in you to direct your own steps. If you don’t realize this then your self-improvement projects will leave your ego even more firmly in control. Transformation can only come from beyond you. It is impeded by self-effort, but facilitated by consent.