Common Things?

Yesterday I mentioned this organization called Project Healing Waters. In short, it is a privately funded organization that aims to care for wounded soldiers by giving them an opportunity to fish. A retired Navy Captain started this program in an attempt to care for those around him who had suffered loss. I mentioned, too, that one of the men on this video was a former high school lacrosse teammate of mine. This video “stirred up” all sorts of stuff within me.

We’ve been saying for the past few weeks that historic Christianity has always asserted that Jesus of Nazareth was both fully God and fully man. Our series the past few weeks have focused on the human-side of his person. We’ve asked the question, “What does Jesus, by being human, tell us about what it means to be human?” The angle that we have taken in all of this was through the 5 senses.

Jesus ate food and, into ways that I am just beginning to tap, this seems highly significant for us. Sadly, some parts of the Christian church have left Jesus floating on clouds, throwing out platitudes to those who might listen, and shooting lazers out of his fingers at those who do not. And we have done this to a fault. But there is something about “seeing” him eat that puts him back on the soil. It seems to me, then, that Jesus is telling us something about being human, something about what being human is all about.

If Jesus was the human par excellence (and I believe he was), then he shows us what is normative about being human. And since Jesus ate, he seems to be showing us that to eat is good and proper. After all, when God put man in the Garden (Gen 2) He told him to eat. In other words, eating seems to have a “place at the table” regarding what central to being human. Perhaps when we get together and eat food and celebrate it as a good gift, we are returning—so to speak—to Eden, living as we were intended. Put simply, we were made to eat; and when we eat we are living out our human-ness before God as He made us. I realize that that I am not accounting for the general abuse that is associated with eating (and it needs to be addressed…but not here) and all the problems stemming from this abuse. Nevertheless, as we eat we are living as God made us…we are partaking in something that was Good, even before we ate (Gen 3) and things became sour (enough with the puns, Ryan!).

So on the lakeside, the day’s first catch and fresh baked bread—common things—were no longer devoid of value. Everyday, yes; trifle, no. These mundane things were not only enjoyable in themselves, they were the context in which neighbor love was carried out. I’ll say that again: neighbor love (mission) happens in the context of common things.

Now back to Healing Waters. On the river, a fly, a rod, and the company of friends were common things enjoyed unto the end that my friend “felt human again.” He had an understanding that something was lost about his human-ness when the roadside bomb went off. And in a boat, with a fly rod in his hand, and close companions at his side it was restored. Rhetorically, I'll ask, "Has mission happened?"

Maybe for the first time in my life I’m thinking about what Jesus shows us about being Human. I’m convinced that he lived more humanly than any other man or woman or dog that ever (really!) walked our sod. I believe to follow him will mean restoring what was lost in Eden as we make our way to the New City. 

If you care to share them, I’d love to hear your thoughts…

--Ryan