A Theology of Discomfort

The soul of the Great Commission and the Great Commandment leans into difficult people and their complexities. It’s to be the essence of who we are as Christians. In fact, unity of mind and generosity of spirit in the midst of diversity is the distinguishing mark of true Christian community.

It’s a bold, radical endeavor: to love our neighbor. But it’s the endeavor God has called us to. It’s where the gospel becomes real. It really speaks to the power of Jesus if we can work through our discomfort and overcome the barriers we too easily let divide us.

This concept, this theology of discomfort, can be seen throughout the Scriptures, both in the Old and New Testaments. So much so it makes me realize how often we can know what is right but practice what is merely expedient.

Throughout the Old Testament we hear that we are to radically love outsiders, widows, and orphans, to act as a voice for the voiceless, and to be a father to the fatherless. In Corinthians we see God saying he focuses on the weak of this world to speak to the mighty. In John 14, Jesus explains to the disciples that obeying him and loving the “least of these” in society give us deep understanding about him and his way.

- Dave Gibbons, The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church (Leadership Network Innovation Series), p. 82

This is a hard one for me.  I like to hang out with people who are just like me.  Thankfully Jesus' default setting is different than mine.  I heard someone once say (can't remember who) "You want to understand the Gospel?  Go find someone hard to love and love them."  Romans 5:8 rings a bell there.  "Sinners" and God like are oil and water, yet God embraced the theology of discomfort for the sake of our salvation.  Let's join him in the theology of discomfort for the sake of displaying the glory of Gospel to the world.

(HT:  Dan Cruver)