FSM Blogger

If there is one thing that gets to me it's traffic. I am a pretty patient person, but when it comes to traffic forget about it. I have this personal grudge against anyone else on the road. If I get behind someone going slow I can't wait to get around them. Somone passes me, I'm like, "Why are you in such a hurry?". I can't be satisfied. Everyone on the road is an enemy and I am the good guy. It's me against them. My car versus theirs. My driving skill against theirs. I see a hole in the traffic, I take it. If there is a yellow light, I do my best to get past it. If someone doesn't go immediately at a light just turned green, my hand is on the horn ready to let 'em know I'm behind them. Oh, and talking to everyone on the road is like a hobby to me. I am the expert as far as how someone else should drive. I'm constantly talking to everyone on the road (even though they can't hear me...duh). Yep, everyone on the road is my enemy.

I'm sure I'm not alone. There are probably others out there that have the same feelings for their fellow road-mates. Go ahead, admit it. You get impatient on the road. No, you say. What about other parts of your life? You got any enemies? Anyone that you think has it in for you? Anyone you run over to get what you want? Anyone that you just know you are smarter than, better than, prettier than, wiser than, better at grammer than.... I am not talking about someone you are friends with that you get mad at from time to time. I am talking about the people you make fun of. I am talking about the people you don't even know but feel like you are better than. People that you feel like treat you injustly. People that you feel play favorites (and you ain't on their list). You get the drift??

So how are God-followers suppose to react to them? Yeah, yeah we know we are suppose to be nice, smile and then talk about them behind their back right? Oh, no...how bout...we are suppose to ignore them and hope they go away. Maybe we just try to join them and win them over by treating people like they do, especially when they are looking. I have another suggestion...let's act like fools.

I read this great verse the other day in Corinithians (yeah that's in the Bible). Its from the 4th chapter and 10th verse. Paul says this crazy statement, "We are fools for Christ...". Fools he says. We act a way that seems so weird and foolish to everyone when it comes to our belief about God and our belief about how we should treat people, he says. Next he (Paul) says that he and his friends (also fools for Christ) are not only fools but weak, poor, starved, thirsty, mistreated (actually they were physically beat up), and even homeless. How do they respond to their enemies you ask? They bless them, forgive them, openly love them....what? Now that is foolish. What is more foolish? Well how about being SCUM. Yes, they actaully call themselves scum (refuse, potato peelings, garbage). So let's get this straight. They are FOOLS and SCUM for Christ's sake. They are so totally sold out to Him that they will do anything to follow in HIS steps. But what are HIS steps.

Here it is. The teaching that pushes all the buttons and makes someone more than just a wanna be. It calls someone to be more than just a pew warmer. It calls someone to be SCUM and FOOLS at the same time. Even when it comes to the treatment of those that are our ENEMIES!! Jesus says this, "Pray for your enemies and Bless those that persecute you." WHAT??? What happened to get even? Eye for an Eye? Getting your just desserts? Get mad and get even? What's all this pray and bless stuff? How does that get me ahead in this world? How can I possibly save face in front of my friends by PRAYING or BLESSING someone that has treated me injustly or cut me off on the road? This calls for more than just average patience or will power or strength or faith. This kind of attitude and outlook on life is more than ordinary, its EXTRAORDINARY!! Jesus says its not enough to treat our friends well, we must also pray for and bless those that we call our enemies. In fact the word he uses is the equivalent to our word for EXTRAORDINARY. We are to do more when it comes to enemies. We are to be SCUM, FOOLS, EXTRAORDINARY. Now that is an out-of-the-Box idea. It should be...especially if you claim to follow an out-of-the-box Savior.