Mixed

Messages
Have definitely
Been mixed

Those new to faith

Are encouraged to question
And those old in faith
Are encouraged to answer

Encouraged to find resolution

To the questions
So they can be
Solid Christians
So they can fit
Into a faith community

But there is an invisible line

A clock counting down
An unmistakable point
When questions
The best questions anyway
Are no longer welcomed
Are seen as divisive

After a time

The questions
Or the honesty
About the questions
Must stop

Because solid Christians

Can’t question that deeply

Because as you grow

In faith
The conclusions
Must fall into line

So one message
That has been mixed
For me
Is the message that
Questions are great
But good Christians
Don’t have deep questions
 
Are not good questions
Always good
No matter
How long
You have been
Practicing your faith

And another mixed message

There is no hierarchy
Of sin

Those are empty words

There is most certainly

An unspoken
Or outright stated
Manmade hierarchy
Of sin
Or maybe
Of brokenness

We cleaned up Christians
Are not that bad

Not as needy as
The addicted
The sexually confused
Those in complicated relationships
The outright criminals

We are not as bad as them

And we in fact
Are here
To save them

But shouldn’t it be

That we are here
To serve them
And just maybe
To learn from them

The “them”

That could never
Be us

We are too good for that

We know too much
We have all our questions answered
And God kind of
Loves us more
Because we are so solid
And sure

So another message

That has been mixed
For me
Is the message that
God loves us all
Without restriction
As is
 
But Christians
Who show love
Without restriction
Who have no need
To list out the ways
Someone else needs to change
Are not representing God
Well enough

Are not we all

Humble recipients
Of God’s grace
No strings attached
Thank you very much

Are we not all
Equally broken and
Equally loved

Messages

Have definitely
Been mixed

And they have mixed me up

And I’m un-mixing them now

Best I can

A little more
Each day