Courage to Venture

“What we do, is just create sympathy. We create – create admirers. We don’t create followers. Christ’s life is a demand. You don’t want to be reminded of it. So we don’t want to be reminded of it. So we don’t want to see what happens to the truth. A darker time is coming … when men will be more clever. They won’t fight the truth, they’ll just ignore it. I paint their comfortable Christ, with a halo over his head. How can I show what I haven’t lived? Someday I might have the courage to venture, not yet. Someday I’ll… I’ll paint the true Christ.”

• Ohlendorf, the Painter (speaking of artists, in the movie A Hidden Life) Find more here: https://mastermedia.com/articles/a-hidden-life/

Allow this to soak in for a minute or two. By the way, I recommend this movie. You can read about it in the link above. Two things that you should know: 1. it’s three hours- so create space and time to watch. 2. Be alert to the almost identical parallels to today’s world.

The scene that this quote comes from is a scene of a painter who is painting the Biblical frescoes in a church. He spoke this and I believe my heart stopped for a couple seconds and I had to stop and find exactly what he said in writing. As the article states, the whole movie points to this one question: How much sacrifice does following Jesus demand? And I add: am I willing to make those sacrifices? Am I truly as disturbed when I settle for the “comfortable Christ” instead of the TRUE Christ? What are others seeing as my reflection of Christ?

There are many reasons I believe this scene sticks with me (as well as others), but I’ll just share a few today:

1. The decline of the Church- I am talking about the whole community of believers – of all nations, tribes, cultures, colors, denominations, etc. And when I write this, I know there are some churches that are on the right track. However, we all fall, but it’s what we do when we fall that is so critical! We have a choice to stand back up and admit it. We can stand back up and pridefully avoid it. We can say, “Well, I fell, so why not just stay down here and keep falling.” But keep the mask of “Christian” on. Or we can just simply wear the mask of “Christian” with no accountability. One of the sayings in our home is “Jesus is not just a picture on a Sunday School wall.”
2. “Christ’s life is a demand.” He’s not wishy washy, and that is a fact. Love, Go, Tell, Multiply. He doesn’t say pick one. This isn’t a spiritual gifts test of which do I do better- these are demands. Yes, use your gifts to meet these demands, but these are musts. He is not going to yell them though. I used to say to kids, “first time obedience,” and after a few times they learned that not obeying the first time or second time I asked resulted in no fun. I think of this often when I think of my obedience in the moment – and the consequences of not listening and obeying right a way- I miss out on something that could have been really great.
3. The fact that Jesus came as to be flesh and blood, live among us, and then die a horrific death for us, is simply to offensive, people can’t handle the thought, so we don’t bring it up right? Needless to say, HE IS RISEN INDEED! We have a beautiful chance at a forever life! But that whole thing about him being humble, fully human, dying- we don’t talk about these things because they are offensive. However, we have violent video games, horror movies, children dying at the hands of “adults” and unrelenting gun violence. Clever? Ignoring the truth?

When or where will you or I have the courage to venture?

Truth and facts are getting to be less and less a moral and virtuous trait. False statements and promises have become the new normal. I believe we are in a crisis of disassociation between brain and soul.

Because lies only get bigger. Slamming signs in people’s faces only creates more anger. Yelling, well goes absolutely no where.

Following Jesus, listening and obeying him, is stepping into this courage to venture, but it cannot stop there. I must, you must: Live truth, speak truth, write truth, spread truth. Disrupt the lies, correct with facts. Be aware – so easy to do now in the digital age – all you need is one or two news apps. Ask questions like you are two years old (they are the geniuses)!!!! I possibly, have googled more topics on my phone in the last two months than the whole time I have had a smart phone! Disassociating our brains from our souls is making policy, people, and things of this world priority, and our souls will crumble. We must stay alert and help each other remain living in truth.

Courage: the ability to do something that frightens.

Venture: a risky or daring journey or undertaking.

Today’s picture is one that I absolutely love of my girl talking to her doll 😊 It reminds me of the child-like faith Christ calls us too. When we are children we have conversations with all our toys, no matter who is listening. That’s what He desires from us- ongoing conversation- no matter the time, place, or circumstance. He just wants us to come. He is always faithful.

Life Book of the Week: Spring Sings, by Ellie Holcomb

This is the link for the Baby doll in picture with my little girl. I looked for years for a baby doll safe for infants with brown skin. And the Christmas before Lucy arrived my mom found this one! They now have many skin colors and they are super soft and snuggly! Shhh I sleep with Lucy’s every night! https://madamealexander.com/dolls/baby-dolls/pink-dolls/my-first-powder-pink-dark-skin-tone.html