Yesterday, I satirized the post-modern missional church-planting movement. Let me remind you that I am actually a member of that movement. Many of those crazy things I said were minor exaggerations of things I’d actually caught myself thinking and some of them (I’m ashamed to admit), I’ve actually said out loud.

What brought on the mini-rant? Me. Yep, got sick of that guy. He always thought of himself and then pontificated for far too long about what should be done while actually doing very little. I’ve got a slight hip factor (no not a big one… not gonna go there) and a thoroughly post-modernistic slant to most of my thinking (meaning I have to nuance every little detail of stuff I think I think.) I have a somewhat self-inflated view of my “get it” factor since I tend to believe that I’m the one with the balanced view and all those other people who don’t generally agree with me are the extremists.

The problem is, Jesus called us to be winsome extremists. We are called to be extreme, but in a non-arrogant way. We are called to declare the truth of the Gospel boldly without being assholes (sorry if that offended you). We are called to actually give a damn about the people we live next to - even if they’re liberals, homosexuals, or pro-choicers (perish the thought). We’re not called to care as a means to an end (meaning I’ll care about you only to see if I can find an in to walk you through the Four Spiritual Laws) or to prove we’re better than the E-Fundies and are willing to associate with these ingrates. We are called to care because the people we live near are… wait for it… PEOPLE (this means they are image-bearers of the Most High God) and He is worthy of them.

If you can’t love the people God placed you in contact with… you’re a poser in desperate need of a serious kick in the head by the Boots of the Gospel of Peace. Do you think we live where we live by some freak accident? Do you think you’ve been placed near that guy who really pisses you off because God is mad at you? Do you think your nemesis exists purely for the Devil’s enjoyment? Nope.

I live where I live because God has called me to love the people I’m near. Nobody I live near is an accident. The people in my neighborhood who tick me off are here to remind me that I must rely on the Spirit to love this person and respond winsomely to their barbed attacks. My multiple nemesises exist to remind me that I must find my worth in God and God alone.

To stop being a poser, I’ve realized that I must fully live my theology. I’ve realized that working out my salvation with fear and trembling equates to getting my butt out there in the world and actually working out what I believe in the LIVING of life - not in the meanderings of theological philosophizing (don’t worry if you don’t know what that means… it’s just a PoMo thing we accuse E-Fundies of doing).

Man… I’m glad I can trust Jesus to take me through this. I pretty much suck at it.