Ever have someone you trust tell you that they are on the verge of causing you pain? I think of visits to the doctor's office; as the nurse prepares to jab you with a needle, she says, "You'll feel a slight pinch." Then you feel what must be an railroad spike being hammered into your arm. That ranks right up there with the old parental adage, "This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you!" I've been a parent and I've been on the receiving end in that scenario, and I can tell you, there are two different kinds of pain being referenced in that statement! "This might hurt" is an ominous warning of what awaits you in the immediate future. I have found that those warnings occasionally surface in print. Take, for instance, the statement made in the Introduction of the latest book I'm reading (pictured here). On page 2, Eugene Peterson signals his intent to shake churchy Christians out of their comfort zones when he writes,
"Every time we open our mouths, whether in conversation with one another or in prayer to our Lord, Christian truth and community are on the line. And so, high on the agenda of the Christian community in every generation is that we diligently develop a voice that speaks in consonance with the God who speaks, that we speak in such a way that truth is told and community is formed..."
Did you get the "this might hurt" part of that? Peterson lets us know from the outset that he does not intend to make his readers feel warm and fuzzy about their faith. To be sure, there are plenty of books out there that are soft and velvety in their intent to make Christians feel good about their belief system. But, those that communicate, "This might hurt" as we read them are not all that popular. That could be because Christians of our day are soft and pudgy, like the old Amy Grant song, "Fat Baby." Peterson will have no part of that, it seems. Sure, he lets us know that there are many biblical references that promote comfort and peace. But he knows that Christians need a good, swift kick-in-the-pants most of the time. Get up. Get moving. Get it right!
"Every time we open our mouths...Christian truth and community are on the line." Wow! Kinda makes me rethink opening my mouth. After all, as the "now" generation of church history, much is at stake in the way we handle the trust of God's word and reputation. It challenges me to think that every word I utter carries implications on God's truth and community. How about you?
Now that I think about it, "This might hurt" really is "That already hurts!"
