Sunday, December 14, 2008

Outside the Gate

As I wrote yesterday, I'm now on Facebook. This has been quite an experience so far. It's been great to at least connect with some old friends, though I haven't had any meaningful conversations beyond "it's great to hear from you" so far.

Obviously, a Facebook profile tells you a little bit about someone. I reconnected with an old friend from high school. He has a Douglas Adams quote on his homepage and belongs to two separate skeptics groups. Clearly he and I don't see eye-to-eye on spiritual matters, but that's OK. What this whole experience is showing me is just how much I run in my little evangelical circle and never get out of it. Conversely, I read this today:

Hebrews 13:12-14
(12) So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
(13) Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
(14) For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.


This is in a passage that discusses how the old Levitical system was used to bear the reproach of the people. Jesus had to go outside the camp because He was unclean as He took on the sins of the world. The tough thing here is the challenge to go outside the camp.

I'm not sure if this is a valid interpretation or not, but to me it seems like I am challenged to go outside the camp. It's one thing to talk about this within my circle, but it's quite another to be thought stupid for my faith. I have no idea if my old friend would think me stupid for my faith or not, but there is always that possibility. And of course that is a very real possibility if I actually began having conversations with strangers.

It's time that I spend more time walking the walk, I think.

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