There’s a pivotal scene in the movie A Beautiful Mind when Alicia Nash tries to convey to her husband John – a person with paranoid schizophrenia – what is real.
I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible.
Every day of our lives is about what’s real and what’s not real. Some things are simply factual:
The Confederate States lost the U.S. Civil War.
The next president has been elected.
Over 1000 people are dying daily in the U.S. of COVID-19 related issues.
When we repeat what’s not real or when we imagine what’s not real or when we live as if something’s not real, it messes with our minds. It’s not beautiful. In fact it’s dangerous.
I trust that God is real. I believe that God is with us whether we feel it or not, whether we believe it or not. I believe that those of us who are trying to follow Jesus must live according to what we know is real:
That God is love.
That resurrection is possible.
That we will be held accountable.
That grace abounds.
Are we living – even in these days of conspiracies and widespread sharing of what’s not real – according to the Truth that God created all people in God’s image? Recognizing each other’s humanity – even when we disagree about what’s real – is essential if we are to convey this Truth.
Why would anyone want to follow Jesus if what they observe about Jesus’ followers is not beautiful? Yes, the world is a hot mess, but I believe something extraordinary is possible. God expects us to participate in this reality.
A Church for Starving Artists 