My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn’t understand to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Mr. Yancey’s words, and Ms. Rice’s words, and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.
I remember that in tenth grade, I had another opportunity to perform the piece with another student orchestra. While still far from perfect, our faithfulness to the score was better than it had been two years earlier. I’d studied the score more and I came closer to reproducing it as it was written.
And so it is with faith. We’re imperfect people trying to follow a score written by a perfect God. Sometimes we hit the wrong note, whether it’s an earnest mistake or we’re lured by a conductor who would abuse our faith in an attempt to sway our actions. Sometimes a whole movement of His symphony is poorly rendered–at least that’s what it feels like to me, when I pass through a time of stumbling. And I’ve stumbled a lot.
In either case, it’s not the Composer’s fault. And I keep studying His score.
1 Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:1 (NASB)
All I can say, AMEN!!!!!! Very beautifully said! Thank you!!! 🙂
Thanks for your kind words, Dori!