The man of no Reputation...

Last year...almost a year ago to be exact...I quoted this song in a post. I love this song so much that I am going to post thoughts inspired by it here again today. I wrote an entire chapter in my new book about it, and the title of one of the sermons I teach is the song title. I'd say it influenced me. Let me post the lyrics first, then we'll discuss it.

Man of No reputation- Rick Elias
It was said this man was of no reputation
Yet He could stop the rising storm
With a gesture of His hand
But He chose to use His hands to heal
Hearts of darkness, hearts of stone
Just like mine would be revealed
He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loved the weak with relentless affection
And He loved all those poor in spirit just as they were
He was a man of no reputation
It was said this man brought only confusion
That He'd achieve his ends by any means
And the truth that it brings revolution
And for once they were right
The truth set us free
The hearts of the captive were his only concern
And the powerful knew their days were ending
He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loved the weak with relentless affection
And He loved all those poor in spirit just as they were
He was a man of no reputation
One day soon the gates of heaven will open wide
And the Prince of Peace will come back for His bride
But for now we live on these streets
Forbidding and tough
Where push always comes to shove
And it's said love's never enough
Where a prophet in rags gives hope to a fearful world
No injustice, no heart of darkness
Will keep this voice from being heard
He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loves us all with relentless affection
And He loves all those poor in spirit, come as you are
To the man of no reputation.

From the first time I heard it, I have been changed by it. I am blessed in that the writer is a dear friend of mine. I've heard it sung a few times but never enough for my liking. I've yet to hear it's equal. It presents Jesus as Jesus wished to be presented. Humble, non intrusive, unassuming. Jesus doesn't kick my doors in, He knocks and waits. He brings huge, radical, amazing changes into my life but seldom against my will. There is nothing at all about this Man that makes me feel I should fear him or run from him or that he judges me. He was homeless when he lived here. Those prosperity hucksters who tell us otherwise are lying...plain and simple. He shivered in his fair share of cold olive groves, or in the hull of Peter's fishing boats, wrapped in stinky fishing nets trying to stay warm. He felt the growl of an empty belly and was once so hungry he cursed a fig tree for not having fruit when he needed some. He knew hard work, learned in his fathers carpentry shop. He knew ridicule and what it felt like to be outcast. He was a man of sorrows...our sorrows. (He certainly didn't bring any with Him) He loved little children and blessed them. He loved and protected those whom the rule givers exiled. He turned the religious world on it's ear and threw opened the doors of access to God, to the rest of us poor rabble. He lived His 33 years like he didn't belong here. That's where He challenges us today. This is Holy Week. The week we remember and celebrate His death and resurrection. This week God has moved me to study also how He lived. How His heart ached to be home with His father and yet how He was going to miss His friends down here. He surely knew their lives would be different once he returned to Heaven. "Listen...I am with you always" was His promise, but it would be different. He wouldn't be present in the flesh. At least not His flesh. He is present in mine now...and yours if you know Him. The trick is living as He lived. Being an inhabitant of earth but a citizen of Heaven. Having God on our minds with each beat of our hearts. Living poor and hungry if need be. Being nothing, so he can be everything to us. Having nothing, if need be, so He can be everything for us. It's been an emotional 3 days and there are four to come. Take the rest of this week and do a little digging into this Man of No reputation.
Come as you are...

Thoughts From Dominic Voillaume

"All that is not the love of God has no meaning for me. I can truly say that I have no interest in anything but the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. If God wants it to, my life will be useful through my word and witness. If he wants it to, my life will bear fruit through my prayers and sacrifices. But the usefulness of my life is his concern, not mine. It would be indecent of me to worry about that."
The last journal entry of Father Dominic Voillaume, taken from
"The Signature of Jesus"By Brennan Manning

Dominic Voillaume was a French priest who spent his life in the service of the poor. He died of cancer at a very young age. From what I've read of him, he had a magnificent grasp on the real force of sin in our lives and of the fact that, despite our best efforts, we are capable of nothing good on our own. His quote so eloquently explains that truth. I have been so guilty of trying to craft something great for God and missing the mark totally. God didn't save me because I had anything great to offer. He saved me because he loves me and whatever else He accomplishes with my life after that is completely up to Him. The only potential I have in myself is the potential to mess everything up. Surrendered to His will, however, great things can be accomplished. But that is strictly His doing! whenever I try to inject my will into it...regardless of how noble my intentions...I just end up wrecking it. Abraham learned this lesson with Ishmael.
So all any of us can do is wake up each morning, offer the day to God to do as He pleases, and enjoy the ride. In the end, it takes all the pressure off of us and we avoid what Fr.Dominic called the "indecency" of trying to do it ourselves.