faithful realism

Ron Simkins – January 17, 2023 1 Comment

I appreciate Ron Simkins’ reflection below about Jesus being CREATIVELY CONSISTENT and CONSISTENTLY CREATIVE, as we consider this theme for 2023. May it inspire you as well. –Renée

I find myself thinking quite a bit about Renée’s recent teaching theme: Creatively Consistent and Consistently Creative. Either Jesus was very dull and unable to notice apparent and blatant inconsistencies, or Jesus taught and acted as though life before God needed to be creatively consistent and consistently creative. I suggest that Jesus lived and taught that the God he loved, worshipped, and served had revealed God’s self through creation and through history as creatively consistent and consistently creative. So, we should be as well.

Jesus saw/sees life as both simple and complex. For example: he taught that when we seek God first, God will always take care of us. He also taught that following God’s call often leads us into suffering, rejection, and “taking up our cross.” Is this being taken care of? Are these teachings contradictory, or are they faithful realism which often sounds contradictory on the surface, but is actually a description of ultimate reality?

Another example can be seen in what we have of Jesus’ teachings and actions concerning relating to family.

1. Jesus taught that following him meant honoring our father and mother as the ten commandments directed (Mark 7:8-13; Matthew 19:19).

2. Jesus left the stability of his family business to do what God was calling him to do, and expected others to be willing to do the same if God called them to do so (Luke 5:1-11; 9:57-62—“go bury my father” meant to fulfill the responsibility to stay home until the father died and the family inheritance was settled). He experienced personally, and he taught, that sometimes this could result in the family of origin being quite unhappy with you (Luke 12:49-53; Mark 3:21 & 31-34; John 7:1-9).

3. Yet, Jesus also taught that God would bless following Jesus by giving us a community (family) in which we would have many “brothers and sisters” who would (or should?) share life with us (Luke 18:28-29; Mark 3:31-34; Acts 2:42-48).

Is this all a contradictory muddle? Or, is this tension a reflection of faithful realism? If the latter, what did Jesus live and teach that relativized everything except one reality? Is there actually a deep simplicity behind all of this apparent tension? Are we being called to a life that is creatively consistent that will be reflected in being consistently creative?

I would suggest that the simple absolute in Jesus’ teaching was summarized as: Faithfully seek first the reign of God’s Living Presence in your life, and everything else will ultimately be alright. The complex? Seeking to consistently and creatively live this out in God’s presence and under God’s reign. In a very complex world, no set of rules can cover all of the situations of life in a manner that allows this creative consistency and consistent creativity. We move in the direction Jesus calls us to move in by consistently and creatively turning from anything that takes us away from God and consistently and creatively turning toward a deeper more open, more spirit-filled, relationship with God.

Sometimes Jesus summarized the simplicity of living in this complex world as “seeking first the Kingdom of God.” Sometimes he summarized it as (1) Knowing you are loved and pardoned (forgiven) by God because of Jesus, (2) Loving God with your whole being, and (3) Loving other humans as you love yourself.
God help us, God help me, live in a creatively consistent and consistently creative manner before God.

Ron Simkins
January 2023