Let me start of by saying that Math was definitely not my favourite subject in school. I can appreciate all the rules and formulas and how you arrive at concrete answers that are either right or wrong. In life however there is no formula or equation that makes things balance out. There is no solving for x to discover the missing piece that will give you all the answers.
When I say that Jesus is not the answer here is what I mean. I think that we often feel like we can insert Jesus into the equation of our lives and things will work out. Our lives will get better, our relationships stronger, our health improved, etc. But Jesus does not come to fit into our lives or make our lives better, he comes to be our life. He is not a part of the equation, he is the equation. We need to grasp the idea that everything we are is understood in context of who Jesus is. He is either the Lord, or he is not. Our challenge is to place Jesus at the centre, as the source of all we are, all we say and all we do. If we can place Jesus at the centre, we will discover joy, peace, love, and grace.
Our lives will get better but not in the ways we typically think. As we place Jesus at the centre of our lives, we will start to look more like him, act more like him, be more like him. It is then we will see God move in ways we never imagined. It is then that we will see healing and restoration, miracles and wonders and it will be because we are living in source of life. We will become fountains of grace and mercy, rivers of peace and joy. Why? Because we are reflecting the image of our loving and faithful father. Can we stop trying to fit Jesus in to our formulas? Can we allow him to define and shape the nature of our lives? Can we allow him to work through us to bring healing and restoration to a broken world that he dearly loves?
John 14:6-7
"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well."
I think that is a good thought Steve. I find it is hard to find paradigms that can encompass any idea of Jesus. Our words and ideas are not large enough to describe him. As I have pondered this thought more I have thought more about him being the Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end. Maybe then he is the question and the answer?
The thing is, what if Jesus is the question? The question Love incarnate asks of humanity? What will WE do? That to me is the question.