Reflections on Life and Spirituality 101: Self and risking beyond the familiar

Friday, September 09, 2005

Self and risking beyond the familiar

It was my birthday last week and I was forced by my friends to eat something not in the conventional realm of my own diet - Crickets!

Even as I was pondering on what I could draw out from this experience, I was reminded of another person in the Bible, possibly because he fed on locusts!

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.' " And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

John the Baptist, in my imagination, brings to light the raw and radical fervour, representing a fertile ground that prepares the way for the Lord (to come work in our lives) and making the paths straight for Him. He was unconventional, as the writers of the Bible seem to allude, but more importantly he was at the cutting edge of what God called him to do, and therefore his life reflected this.

In this case, eating something 'bizarre' (in my culture only, at least) has reminded me more profoundly that following the way of Christ is not the nice, easy road that middle-class Christianity sometimes paints it to be. Many a time, Jesus asks of us to go against our natural ways and desires, often in a radical and costly manner. These involve risk to our ghettos of security, reputations and even our lives (in certain parts of the world) - not at all the safe, protected and predictable lifestyle I can too easily see myself settling into. In the present cultural climate where self is the conventional order, John the Baptist's outlook was unconventional: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

I am asking myself: When was the last time I stood on the cutting edge of my own comfort zone and allowed God to enlarge it? Too long. How can I stop "playing it safe" to what I know and are familiar with? Perhaps too much of self is in the way. Right now, I don't want to just talk about it. God is challenging me to do something.

I will keep my eyes wide, and more importantly my mind open. Hanging on to the good old days will no longer suffice. Someone once said: "To see things you have never seen before, you have to do things you have never done before." Yes, I agree... but only in God's direction and wisdom.

Labels: Change / Progress, Spiritual Growth

# posted by Sal : 11:25 a.m. | Be notified of new blogs | Forward to a friend

Comments:

Amen bro.....

# posted by

Anonymous : September 14, 2005 7:25 a.m.

p.s. Some people have asked what the crickets *tasted* like. Well, they look worse than they actually taste. It reminded me of dried sunflower seeds, same fragrance except baked crickets are crunchier!

I could take in the torsos, but not their legs though... :P

(Ok, for some of you that may be too much detail...)

# posted by

Sal : September 16, 2005 5:08 p.m.

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