My favorite author of all time is Fyodor Dostoevsky. If you have never read one of his books, then do it...now. This morning I was sitting near the bookshelf, drinking my coffee, and looking at my stack of Dostoevsky books. One of my favorites is called, "The Idiot." It is about a man with epilepsy. Right beneath that one was another one that I love called, "The Possessed." Then something dramatic happened...I began to think.
In our society, and based on our common definitions, being termed an 'idiot' means something quite different than being 'possessed'. When one thinks of an idiot, he thinks of someone who is stupid, juvenile, goofy, immature, or many times, just different. When one thinks of one who is possessed, he thinks of one who is controlled by something that is dwelling within. Nearly every time one of these terms is used it is used in a negative sense. For example, "My son's tantrum was so bad that I thought he was possessed." Or, "I don't see any dinosaur shaped ones!" "Oh, for crying out loud! They're in boxes, you idiot!"
In the first example, the child's behavior was so awful and unwarranted that the joke is to say it had to be induced by an indwelling force. In the second example, Rex is so simple that he fails to take into account the obvious.
Based on that...I think that Christians are supposed to be both idiots and possessed. I don't know...I'm just spit balling here. However, when I read through the Bible I find a slew of evidences of Christians being both. Point in case, which one of us wouldn't have thought Peter an idiot as he stepped out of the boat and onto the water? How about Jonah, as he told the sailors to throw him overboard into the sea? Or even Christ, as He willingly went to be crucified?
And then there is this question of being possessed. Certainly we see negative examples of this in the Bible, but what about the good? What about the men of God who were so wholly changed that people thought them crazy? The men whose actions were so out of character that there could be no question as to Who was controlling their life? What of John the Baptist, living in the wilderness? What of Stephen, speaking into the heavens as he was stoned? What of Paul, rejoicing while in prison? What of the apostles boldly facing persecution for their faith? Truly, these were men possessed.
I don't see too many idiots for Christ anymore. I don't know...maybe it is just me. When is the last time I have stepped out in faith against what was completely obvious to the world...to see what was unseen? I wonder if anyone has ever looked at my life and said, "Wow...that guy is completely nuts." And were later amazed as the picture of faith unfolded and God revealed His plan. Sometimes I see people out on the corner of some street preaching. That makes me uncomfortable. Sometimes, I think to myself, "that person is crazy." Maybe they are crazy. Maybe they are crazy enough about Jesus to do anything to expand his kingdom. Maybe they are crazy enough to put their pride in check to a degree that I cannot even imagine. Of course...they could be genuinely crazy...which would kind of ruin my whole thing here.
I also don't see too many people completely possessed by God. That doesn't mean that there aren't people like that. Remember, this blog is more about me than anything, and what I write is more a self-indictment then anything. So I guess what I am wondering is if people look at me and think, "okay, that it totally uncharacteristic...what is wrong with him?" But in a good way. Trust me, people have thought that about me before in a bad way, and chances are they will think it again. But wow...just inviting a friend to church is hard stuff sometimes. Striking up a conversation about fantasy football is easy, but try steering the conversation away from a game-saving field goal to a life-saving Savior...and woah...not easy. At least not for me. Why is that? Why were the disciples so possessed that they willingly faced death...preaching to the end...when today it is hard to get 50% of the church back on Sunday night and 25% back on Wednesday? I am not saying that church attendance always equals 'rightness' with God...because we all know people as backward as the day is long that would NEVER miss a church service...but I am using it to show a point. By and large we don't live as people that are possessed. I don't live as one that is possessed.
My prayer is that God will enable us to be a bunch of possessed idiots for Him in this world. I can look like an idiot on my own...but more as an embarrassment to my wife rather than as a glory to God. Apart from God I simply do not have what it takes to "lay my life down." God doesn't call many of us to lay our lives down literally...but He does call us to be aliens here. We should stick out. We shouldn't be comfortable. The world should look at us and think, "What a bunch of idiots. What would possess them to live like that, or act like that, or give things up like that, or do that, or defer to another like that, or serve like that, or love like that, or care like that, or do that, or not do that?"
Being possessed by an unwavering faith in Christ is the answer. I have faith...but does the world see it?
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