|
A Perfect (Beautiful) Mind Rom 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV How strange it was to discover that perfect will of Christ at the cinema – that infamous Cathedral to Sin and Opulence. However, there it was portrayed, to all with an eye to see, as a mathematical formula. I guess I could have seen it coming, what with the increase in local churches renting multiplexes for services, but on the screen itself? Most ironic of all, the movie’s title was "A Perfect Mind." Go figure… I suppose, Hollywood being what it is, that all the public will about remember is the Nash Game Theory as it relates to the chances of picking up the blond at the bar. What most interests me, however, is what I have since learned of Nash’s probabilities. My favorite is called the Convict’s Dilemma. Two petty criminals have been caught in the act of a minor theft carrying a potential sentence of 90 days of incarceration. The detectives, however, suspected them of responsibility of a string of crimes that could net them ten years in prison. The police interrogate them separately to try to trip them up. Each is advised of the suspicions. Each is offered the following deal: "If you cooperate and implicate the other, all charges against you will be dropped. If, however, you do not cooperate and your partner implicates you, then you’ll serve the ten years. If we get both of you, we’ll split the ten and you’ll each do at least five years. Nash Game Theory states that, while the smartest course of action is for them both to keep their mouths shut and just do the 90 days. The likeliest course is for both of them to squeal on each other. They just can’t take the chance that the other won’t rat them out. As a result, they each end up doing five to ten. What, you ask, does this have to do with the Perfect Mind of Christ? Everything; in fact the very basis of all Christianity is supposed to represent is expressed in this. Jesus said, "Whoever seeks to preserve their life shall lose it, but whosoever surrenders his life for my sake shall gain it." (Matt. 16:25, Mk. 8:35,Lk.. 9:24, Jn. 12:25) That this concept is repeated in all four Gospel accounts further emphasizes its importance. Jesus further stated the case when he stated "No greater love hath a man then that he lay down his life for his friends." (Jn. 15:13) Jesus extended this by stating that we should love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39), then broadened that concept by explaining the Parable of the Good Samaritan to show that neighbor didn’t just refer to friends but enemies, as well (Lk. 10:28-37. These and a multitude of other related scriptures begin to develop into a picture not often carried along in the wallet of Christian history. Think of it this way: If we are part of a community of 1000 people with everyone looking after their own interests first, then each of us has only themselves looking out for Number One. If, however, each one of us takes the teaching of Jesus to heart and worries first about the needs of those around us, then we each have 999 individuals looking out for our own personal needs. Expand that out over the multi-millions living in our greater community and you have the solution to all, if not most, of the world’s ills; except – except for how to find the nerve to let go and trust – how? It’s so simple that it’s difficult. Jesus gave the answer to us: Surrender – give up our lives – don’t be so invested in it – if we die, we win. There is something more for which to live life – the needs of our neighbors. See, Jesus did just that. All religious mumbo jumbo aside, the ultimate metaphor of Jesus is that he showed true love by allowing himself to be abused and killed by those who hated him. Why, there’s nothing difficult about that is there? Yeah, right! That’s why Jesus was the perfect expression of God in the flesh. He did something NOT ONE of us would have figured out on our own. Oh, we might be able to die for our family members, maybe even for a friend. But, to die for the sake of our enemies (Matt. 5:23)? Overcoming evil with good (Rom 12:20)? That is NOT normal, Dude. Jesus, unlike historical Christianity, didn’t take lives; He gave his own. And, this is the great dichotomy in it all – the cloudy line of demarcation between theory and practice. Even now various "Born-agains" are, likely, firing up word processors because I have committed the heresy of ignoring the God-man issue. I have avoided the Easter Event, focusing only on the death of Jesus – skirted the Arian Controversy and all the inherent arguments that have raged through the ages about how He relates to the Father in power and glory. After all, you might add, "this is important – vital – our VERY SALVATION – how do you expect to get saved if you don’t…? Aha, GET saved? Getting still seems to be the focus, does it not -- to GET something in return for us annoying everyone within range of our faith based initiatives? THAT, my friends, is where the whole thing has gone so terribly wrong. I believe that is the difference between religion and faith – between love and Sunday-go-to-meeting righteousness – between being motivated by human nature and being led by the Holy Spirit. So, in a frenzy of Taliban-like conviction, we rush about proving our faith at the point of a sword, swinging the cross about like a cudgel, bludgeoning into submission all which we do not understand. That is what Christianity has rejected about its calling.
Where Jesus did away with the priesthood and offered free grace to all, the
gatekeepers have regained control decrying |
|
|