Ever wanted to be someone else? What if you actually could? In Chatroulette (which is where you're put in a private internet chatroom with someone else chosen at random) you can basically pretend to be anyone you want. But that's not exactly real, is it.
What if you could hit a button in real life, and become someone else chosen at random... Would you do it? Honestly, I'd have to think about it. This is not because I do not appreciate my own life. I love my little world, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Still though, the thought of hitting the button and becoming someone else selected at random is intriguing, isn't it?
Maybe I would become some homeless woman living under a bridge, reaching for coins in a drain, wondering how I ever got there. Maybe you would become a Wall Street executive with a fat salary, a large circle of acquaintances, and a string of mistresses. Or, the pastor of a mega-church in Portland. Or the melodian player for Fanfarlo. Or some washed-out icon from the 90's [say... Gavin Rossdale?].
I think this idea evokes feelings of empathy as we try and imagine what it would be like to suddenly be in some random person's shoes. And I think that Jesus would want us to feel such empathy. You remember "the least of these" [Matt 25:45], don't you? He insisted that the little people in life are [somehow] Christ Himself. Maybe it's only in principle, or maybe as far as our Creator is concerned, it's a fundamental truth. Either way, I think it would be tempting to hit the button, just out of sheer curiosity.
In a way, I think that followers of Jesus are quite able to hit that real-life-button. Seriously. Jesus and the other contributors within the biblical narrative are constantly talking about one thing: living a new life. Paul said that the old man is actually dead, having been [somehow] crucified with Christ. I think he's saying that, as far as our Maker is concerned, it actually happened - even though [at times] we don't really see much proverbial fruit.
Of course, "to confess to be a Christian is to readily embrace paradox" (Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton). Appreciating a little Christian paradox, this phenomenon where two [seemingly] opposing truths are somehow equally & simultaneously true, is part of calling yourself a follower of Jesus, since you believe through faith that you are a new creation in Christ, and yet your old man seems to keep rising from the dead! We are still new in Christ, even though we're still old and broken. And we're OK with that, having coined the theological term already/not yet.
I'm not interested in ever playing Chatroulette, nor do I wish to trade lives with some other broken human being. However, I am quite thrilled that I get a fresh start in Jesus. He really is a great savior. I hope you know Him. Every day I wake up I know that my slate is eternally wiped clean. This is just about the best news I can think of. I believe that this good news is what we GET to share with the rest of earth's broken population - beggar to beggar.
How's that going, btw? Do share! :)
What about you... would you be willing to play liferoulette?
3 COMMENTS:
Hey brother, I like your post from G.K. Chesterson about how, to confess to be a Christian is to embrace a paradox. I love it bro. (Thanks so much for the book/wedding present. I enjoyed a couple chapters while 30,000 ft in the air during Britt and I's honeymoon.)
I think to G.K. is right. Do we have free will? If so, what of Judas? Are we predestined? If so, what of Christ's command to love one another and teach his commands? What of the Law that the unchanging and eternal God spoke into existence?
I think that there is nothing more blissfully wise than to live a paradox (Contrary to the secular-naturalist point of view.) As G.K. pointed out, insanity is for those who cannot tolerate mystery.
I don't find it tempting to be anyone else. Again, the paradox: How can I empathize without disrespecting God for the blessings he has poured out on me? Should I debase myself in order to gain perspective? Where do I find the balance between servant/child?
The only thing that makes sense, and is yet a mystery, is to say and embrace Jesus Christ. As G.K. pointed out, it is the mystery (in this case, Jesus) that cannot be perceived because of his glory but yet shines the light of truth on everything in the path of his radiance.
Christ made it simple for us, though. He told his doubters that if they wanted proof that he was legit, to practice his teachings. And so here we are, embracing the paradox because the teachings of Christ that so fixes the state of humanity is worth the risk...and sanity.
Love you brother, thanks for the excellent, thought-invoking post.
I would jump at the opportunity to play life roulette for a day. It's a shame we cannot actually put ourselves in someone else's shoes. We would learn so much about how good we have it or how much we need to change about ourselves or our lives. As Christians i agree that we are actually called to put ourselves in other's shoes and not to look down upon others. We, as humans, judge people so quickly and make assumptions, like we know all about that person. In fact, most of the time, we have no idea what they have been through in their life, or what they deal with on a daily basis. Most people do not wear their hearts and lives on their sleeves. Instead, they wear a mask to look as if they have it all together. They answer "great" every time someone asks, "how are you?" without once stopping to be truthful in that answer. As Christians, it is our job to get to know people well enough that we know when they are wearing a mask. We don't have to play life roulette to do this. We just have to invest time and love into people's lives.
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Life roulette! Now there is a concept. I would have pushed that button a long time ago. Back when I was an alcoholic and addicted to drugs I would have given anything to be someone else. However you could have changed me in to Job (one that was blameless) and I would have turned him in to and alcoholic that was addicted to drugs. It’s that reset button Jesus gave us when he died on the cross that I needed. Praise God for the do over!
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