The mosque on the hill reminded me of Jesus

When you survey the seven rolling hilltops surrounding the city of Kampala, Uganda, you’ll see different landmarks perched on each one. In fact…that was the whole original idea…

Each hill was to be “conquered” by a different perspective…Catholicism, Anglicanism, Islam, royalty, etc…

Now, that’s actually not much of a novel idea. Beginning with Rome, the adage “City of Seven HIlls” extends to over 50 cities around the world.

But something interesting struck me today as Blake Thompson and I climbed into the prayer tower for a panoramic view from the top of the Kibuli Mosque perched proudly on the third hill of the city.

When I was younger, my brothers, friends and I would play a game called “King of the Hill.” Maybe you’ve also played it. It’s a very sophisticated game where you find a dirt mound and try to stay on top as long as possible while everyone else ruthlessly attempts to remove you by any means necessary. Nary did the game end without injury. Like I said…sophisticated.

Interestingly enough, that game was supposed to prep us for the “real world”.

The world where that’s just how things work…

Kill or be killed…

Conquer or be conquered…

Stake your claim or someone else will…

And, for good reason, the hilltops always seemed to be the prime real estate. It is after all the best play to be seen, feared and protected.

However, as I peeked through the pointed arches, past the star and crescent and to the city below, a couple things really churned to the surface.

1. We are called to be a city on a hill for the purpose of refuge and rescue, not rout or rule.
2. Jesus shouldered a cross to climb a hill only to tell the waiting conquerers that He had arrived to lay down His life for them instead.

These two simple things that I’ve heard and known since I was a small child are still all too often foreign to the way I live my life. Growing up I would have never sacrificed myself so someone else could be “King of the Hill”…that would have been stupid…yet, Jesus exchanges His life for mine willingly and then invites me to live on the hill with Him.

To light the way for others to also find their way up the hill…and not to have to battle to the death when they get there because the King is actually waiting with open arms instead of a drawn sword.

Now, there is a major conquering element to the story of the cross, I certainly don’t want to leave that out. But, the only thing that was conquered the day Jesus stretched out His arms to absorb all the crushing blows of the world, was the need for any of us to ever have to climb the hill to battle for our place again.

It was finished…and it still is…

Through a brutal, willing, overwhelming grace that showed death the way down and untethered the limits of true life, Jesus set a new standard for how each of us should live on the hill.

The temptation to conquer is strong. The world grooms us for it.

The call to bring life instead of death is stronger. Our Savior has created us for it.

Jesus already climbed the hill to die on so we might meet Him there and live.

Kibuli Mosque, Kampala

Are you really pro-life?

When people ask that question, typically it’s loaded with all sorts of political overtones.

However there is a lot more to being pro-life than the subjects of abortion, war, the death penalty, etc.

In fact, while those issues are vitally important to determining the lens with which we view other people, it’s not what I’m referring to at all.

Rather, I’m chasing a more foundational thought…

Are you pro-life or pro-survival?

Living versus simply existing.

Many of us who have been orbiting Churchianity for any length of time have no doubt stumbled across the verse where Jesus explains how His desire is for us to have life to the fullest.

I haven’t found anyone who disagrees with Jesus’ perspective, but what troubles me is how few people pursue it.

We even use the word “life” in our excuses for why we don’t live.

“Well, we had planned on it…but then life happened…”

“Oh you know how it is…life gets in the way…”

The second tier of excuses we use are even sillier…

“Work is just crazy right now…”

“Well, the kids are involved in so many things these days…”

And once we reach the third tier…we don’t even try anymore…

“There just aren’t enough hours in the day…”

Living the abundant life isn’t a far off destination we’re attempting to reach, it’s stewarding well the place where we are right now.

Living life to its fullest isn’t about how much time we have or don’t have, it’s about stocking the shelves of our moments with what’s worthwhile.

My own personal struggle has been breaking free from the temptation to make life all about events. If I could convince myself that I was planning for the next “big day”, then I didn’t have to pay as much attention to the current day.

Even our economies cater to our addiction. Just one example would be how early stores begin advertising for Christmas. They know we’ll cave every time.

So how do we live?

Well, I believe that living begins with listening to the right voice.

When Jesus shared about his desire for us to have a rich and satisfying life, He was painting a distinction between His voice (that leads us to true life), and the sinister voice of The Thief (that peddles in the counterfeit).

When we purchase counterfeits, it might numb our longing for real life for a little while, but it cannot quench it.

And then there’s the issue of difficulty…why must we have pain? Why must we walk through hardship?

To be honest with you, I’m not sure there are any great answers for those questions, but I do know that without sadness, laughter isn’t as cleansing; without fear, we’d never know peace;  without brokenness, we couldn’t experience healing; without sin, we’d never know grace…without death, we’d never understand value of life.

Our Savior is the nemesis of The Thief. He has fought for us, and still fights for us. His life is ours…and His life is the fullest, richest available. It has been said that life begins in the mind of God. That includes yours.

Today…right now…take a moment…assess…

Are you living? Is your family living?

Are you missing out on beauty, community, worship, generosity?

What must change?

Being pro-life starts with you. It’s not a talking point or a political perspective…it’s a beckoning.

Stop surviving. It’s time to live.

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“It was when I was happiest that I longed most…The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing…to find the place where all the beauty came from.” // C.S. Lewis

Is your life a dragon’s lair?

Sort of an odd question.

But the truth is each of us are harboring dragons of some kind…here’s what I mean:

We hold grudges.

We refuse to forgive.

We refuse to ask for forgiveness.

We are afraid.

We feel worthless.

We are insecure.

We are jealous.

We gossip.

We judge.

We look down on.

We are hurting.

We avoid difficulty.

We give up.

We don’t trust.

We ______________ (fill in your own).

After a while our lives are so full of keeping our dragons well-fed and hidden from public view that we are rendered unable to truly live as we were meant to.

Somewhere along the way we start thinking things like:

“Why is it so hard for me to connect?”

“Am I just not likable?”

“Do I just not have anything to offer?”

“I mean seriously, how come the cast of Jersey Shore has better community than I do?”

What I really think happens (much to our horror), is the people around us somehow can see our dragons. And no one ever hangs out or takes refuge in a dragon’s lair. (Unless you’re a dragon…that’s why it’s your lair).

So.. it’s time for you to kill some dragons. You don’t need them, but there are people who need you.

The challenge is, it’s much easier to sit on a couch in our living rooms and be entertained by the crying confessions on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, screaming meltdowns on Bridezilla, or interpersonal exploits on Big Brother. We are fascinated with dissecting other people’s dragons because it distracts us momentarily from our own.

Reality tv is staged…we are not.

In Hebrews 12, we are challenged to throw off anything that keeps us from running the race of life as we were created to. It’s not easy. Being honest about ourselves is much more difficult than continuing to feed the dragons, but the trade off is simply not worth it.

We must be about more than living an exciting story. Our lives should be built in such a way that others are better having encountered us. This, is probably the most difficult thing for me to remember. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own story (or frustration for lack of story), and forget about all the others I impact.

So…who’s ready to go hunting?

“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” // GK Chesterton

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What are your dragons?

Following Jesus is so not fair!

“But that’s not fair!”

As a dad, I think this may be one of the top three most annoying phrases in the world, and one of the most common.

Our two oldest children, Tobin (8) and Josiah (7), were miraculously endowed with some sort of internal notification system that instantly alerts them whenever the other one moves even slightly ahead on the fairness scale.

As soon that happens, we’ll hear an assortment of questions and statements that usually begin with:

“But why doesn’t he…”

“But how come I…”

“But why did he get to…”

“But why don’t I…”

And we in turn mix and match our parental response with a variety of phrases that go something like…

“Don’t worry about him…just make sure you do what you’re supposed to do…”

“Let’s working on being grateful for what we do have, not upset about what we don’t have.”

“Stop looking around…look at me…”

Typically, the fairness conversation takes a good chunk of time to wade through, and almost always revolves around something like one having six more LEGOs than the other…or got a little more soft drink in his cup…you know…earth shattering discrepancies.

The strangest part is, we don’t seem to outgrow the notification system. As we get older, it simply gets more sophisticated and continues to hinder and distract and lower our effectiveness.

And it goes much deeper than simply thinking the grass looks greener elsewhere.

In John 21, the resurrected Jesus has just finished giving the disciples a fishing lesson topped off with breakfast on the beach. (Coolest.morning.ever.)

Afterwards, He has an impromptu conversation about love that really puts Peter on the spot.

Jesus asks, “Peter, do you love me?”

Peter (on the third try) replies, “You know everything, you know that I love you.”

Jesus lowers the boom: “If you truly love me…you’re going to have to die.” [My paraphrase]

Stuff just got real.

Immediately Peter’s notification system kicks on, he starts looking around, sees another disciple named John and quips, “But what about him?” Peter knows it doesn’t seem fair, and if he has to die for loving Jesus, then John should too. Right?

Then, Jesus goes for the heart: “Don’t worry about him…you follow me.”

Reality: following Jesus isn’t fair. Fair isn’t the point…following is.

Sometimes grace looks like a manger and sometimes a cross. The journey to become who you were created begins with death and ends with life.

It seems backwards. Usually it’s the other way around. In our world, the race is on to live as much in as possible before you die. When you follow Jesus, the race is on to die as soon as possible so you can live.

When I’m faced with these things, it’s like I’m the same age as Tobin and Josiah again. Looking up at the Father and questioning, “But what about them? Why did I have to go through this? Why didn’t I get to do that?”

Again and again He responds, “Stop looking around. Stop worrying about everyone else. Eyes on me…follow me…”

I believe comparative Christianity is addictive, paralyzing and a huge time waster. Oddly enough, we rarely see those who may have things more difficult than we do, we always see the ones who seem to have it better.

You have important work to do today. Things to accomplish that no one else can.

But if you’re too busy looking around at how things are playing out for others, they won’t get done.

So…stop looking around. Fix your eyes on Jesus. He’s the Author…let Him write the story.