If you get a chance to see a screening of “For the Love of God – How the church is BETTER + WORSE than you ever imagined” – https://www.publicchristianity.org/documentary-screenings/ – it is worth it. Kris and I had the opportunity on Monday night to go to a screening in South Yarra – it was confronting, enthralling and encouraging, all at the same time. [Disclosure – The presenters and lead researchers of the documentary are work colleagues of Kris, and one – Justine Toh – has been a staff retreat speaker in recent years.] [Parental advisory – some of the content is not for younger ears – descriptions of some of Christendom’s less glorious moments of history are awful to hear, and deeply sad.]
Another of the presenters, John Dickson, likens God’s perfect plan for the world to the most beautiful, complex piece of music you can imagine, performed perfectly with passion in full orchestra mode. I interpret this to mean that God’s perfect plan is a thing of extraordinary beauty, able to be appreciated at so many levels; able to be revisited and understood differently, experienced with fresh understanding and with different focus as we more deeply comprehend more and more things that God is doing in his world, amongst and through his people.
This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4
But, Dickson also points out that we mustn’t make the mistake of interpreting who God is and what his love looks like, even understanding his plan for the world, by focusing on the imperfect, the sinful, the dysfunction of his followers. Violence and strife, the worst narratives of the church getting it wrong – these contradict the revelation of God as the extender of grace, the one who first loved us ALL – the author and perfecter.
If you’ve ever stood next to someone singing out of tune, it’s not the composers fault that it sounds less than it could be. If you’ve been at church and the guitarist/ drummer/ trumpeter/ vocalist makes a hash of a beautiful chorus – that’s not the song writer’s fault. So, too, when we look at the things we are inclined to point out as wrong with our brothers and sisters – at church, in our Bible study, dare I say at school – as much as it might cause us to despair as to what God is doing and who he is, his plan is perfect; it’s us – you and me – as his orchestra, his choir, that need the ‘work’ to be more in tune with that plan.
For me, I thank God that we have Christ as our example, a personal relationship with him to draw on and a guide book, the Bible, to dig deep into as we navigate each day’s challenges. Not to mention a great crowd of believers around us, within our faith communities at our churches and within our college community, to share these challenges with.
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Hebrews 13:20-21
educating 4 life, too 
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