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post 187

Annie Dillard, in her essay "On Luke," points out that in a matter of two sentences Luke points out that God, who has pointed me out, is, in my interpretation of Dillard, either mad or masochist. Or maybe just up to good.

At the end of the gospel of Luke, directly after resurrection and meal, Christ hands himself over to a new set of authorities--the church. No more just the malcontents and incredules to sully his name, his person, his I AM, but now, too, the Christians. From Christ to Christian--three letters from Messiah to mess.

I understand the complaints. No matter how often I urge you not to equate Christ with Christians or Christianity, you will. You will because you know the truth, that God's the one who made the equation, and the truth, this one time only, does not set Christians free.

Rather than dismiss the whole thing, consider for a second the kind of God, if there is one, who would risk his reputation, risk his life, risk himself at the hands of anyone who wants to take his name.

If I could apologize to non-Christians on behalf of all of us Christians, for all our stupidity and gross representation, I would. But I would not apologize for God; he has pointed me out and entrusted me with his name, a good name.