Jam#3 Renaissance Baby
About six hundred years ago, there was a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on. Some guy named Gutenberg, put together this crazy machine that printed letters on vellum and parchment. ‘made it a lot easier to mass produce literature, documents and images. An intellectual hunger followed, a demand, like none known before in the history of the world. No longer would monastery monks suffer writer’s cramps. No longer would the masses have to rely on a few of the chosen ones to communicate news, history, information and spiritual insights. In other words, the masses were now able to READ, for themselves and become EDUCATED! Over the next few centuries, scientific and medical advancements changed the course of a dismal world, architecture blossomed, music flourished, and the arts came alive.
Throughout every corner of civilized society, the winds of change swept across our globe like fire through a dry timber forest, until everyone sensed the enlightenment. Since then, volumes have been written on this phenomenon. And I would serve the Renaissance no justice except to relay this simple truth; it changed humankind forever, lifting it from the misery and despair of the Dark Ages.
Now, this is not to say that all problems were solved with the advent of this wondrous time… far from it. For in many ways, it created newer and greater problems. Wars did not cease, hatred and violence did not vanish and evil was still evident in the hearts of man. But still, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would say, “We were better off in the Dark Ages. Let’s go back to the good old days”.
The principal of change is an imminent byproduct of life. Whether you welcome it or not, it’s going to happen. You can either embrace it or you can resist it, but it won’t go away. It will eventually catch up with you, because it’s a tide, a movement that is much larger than you and your little self-centered existence.
We may not like to change. We sometimes view it as a threat to our way of life, the status quo, the way things always have been. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” “Let sleeping dogs lie.” “Don’t rock the boat.” You get my drift.
Well let me tell you something. Jesus said in Matthew 10:34, “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth…but a sword. “
What? That’s not the Jesus I’ve heard about. That’s not the passive, “turn the other cheek” kind of guy I knew in Sunday school. Well no, it isn’t. But He still said it. And you know why? Because the message He brought was a rock the boat, change your world, kind of message. Jesus came to start the greatest Renaissance of all time, and from that tiny hill called Calvary, the ripple effect of that event is still being felt today.
Now I know for some of you, this might be more religiosity than you’re used to, and you’ve already started that spiritual shutdown process in your brain. But wait!! Don’t do that! (Remember jammin’ rule#1?)
All I ask is that you hang for a few more bars. You can play rhythm, right? OK, cool.
Think about the Renaissance again for a moment. What do you think started it, anyway? Even if you take God out of it, for a moment, (not that I think you really can, but for argument’s sake, just follow along). From a purely humanistic perspective, we have a few visionaries believing that a change was imminent. I like to believe that they had a desire to bring a beneficial contribution to society or to their own sphere of influence. I like to think that they knew it was their purpose in life to bring a change.
There’s a lot of truth in the old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. These visionaries… they chose to become part of something greater than just themselves. They weren’t just creating for the sake of creating. They weren’t trying to make a good buck to pay the bills, gain popularity or just impress the chicks. (Well, that might have been part of it. But that kind of motive won’t cut it in the long run.) No, they were taking part in something much larger, and they knew it.
What followed would become a series of events providing the fertile ground necessary to grow their ideas, inventions and insights. Call it fortune, fate, luck, what have you. Eventually what was on the inside came to life on the outside, and collectively gained momentum until we had a Renaissance.
Now, let’s bring God back into the equation, shall we? Let’s start by going back to our definition of God, from Jam#1. Remember Love, with a capitol “L”? Let’s use this idea here.
Love caught up with Johannes Gutenberg, one day, and told him, “Hey Dude, it’s time you realized, that the idea you have, is more than just a great conversation piece. You need to do something about this. You need to realize that I want to use you to help bring about a change in this world. I want to use you, so I can show them that I love them. I’m going to impregnate you now with a vision, and just like a child in the womb, you’ll start to feel a little uncomfortable. You may want to throw it up sometimes, you may start craving strange foods, and you may even wish you weren’t pregnant any more. But finally, you will give birth to this vision, and you will call it the printing press. Then, you’ll nurture it and watch it grow. It wont’ be easy, because, just like raising any child, you will have to make sacrifices. It will exhaust your time and energies. But, I will give you a love for this vision, because you know that I am the one who placed it in you. And, you can also rest assure that I’ll be right there with you.”
Likewise, the birth of countless ideas, inventions and masterpieces were no different. Love was the father of each idea. Even before it was conceived in the heart of man, Love was there. And then, as the midwife, Love helped to birth the idea. Finally, Love stayed around as the guardian, and watched it grow.
Now, let’s travel back, fourteen hundred years before the European Renaissance, to see Love looking down on a sick and hurting world. Love said, “It’s time for a change. I don’t want to just be known by them, I want to live inside them. I don’t want them to see me as just a list of do’s and don’ts. I want them to know the power of my presence in their lives. I want them to be able to call on me, and commune with me, and I want them to know that I am always there for them.”
So, Love took on the form of flesh and dwelt among us. Love taught us His ways. Love showed us another way to live. Love showed us how to care for each other, and how to live for more than just ourselves. But, Love knew that a great sacrifice would have to be made.
It’s no secret that Jesus died as the sacrifice made for our sins. To some it’s a mystery, but at some point in our lives…, we get it, whether we want to admit it or not…, we get it. I’ll talk more about this sacrifice and what it means to us, but for right now; let’s focus on the renaissance baby in each of us.
At some point, (and maybe it hasn’t happened for you yet… but it will), our minds take a back seat and our hearts start driving. And our hearts tell us, “If there is a God out there, there’s got to be a way that he will get through to me and make contact.”
Once this question is formed in your psyche… BANG, you’re impregnated! The seed of hope is now growing in you that Love will soon make Himself known in your life. And just like any unborn child, it starts making demands on you. First, you become cognizant of it. Then, you start caring about things you never considered before. You start seeking out people that can relate to your quest. You start praying in ways that you never thought of trying before, and suddenly, you’re seeing answers in ways that you’ve never seen before. (Now, I’m not talking about magic lottery number kinds of prayers here, I’m talking about those prayers that you ask God to show up in a very personal way, and suddenly you know that He’s answered your prayer. It’s a very personal thing and it’s very real.)
So you’re whole image of God starts to change. You start to realize that God really does care, and that He’s very alive and ready to form a lasting personal relationship with you.
Then, one day, everything starts to fall together, and you know that you know. A change has not only taken place on the inside, a change is about to be made evident on the outside and to everyone around you. You’re giving birth at that moment. It’s messy, it’s emotional, but it’s also the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen or known. You can’t help but smile, ‘cause you know that your life will no longer be the same. It’s a Kodak moment made in Heaven.
Scripture shows us that wherever Jesus went, He impregnated people with a hope… with a vision… with a sense that Love would change lives, forever. Each heart was transformed into a womb coddling a beautiful unborn baby. And when it came time to give birth, He was there to welcome the newborn child into the world. He would give the child a name, a new name, one that would transcend this life for eternity.
And ever since the time that Jesus walked the earth, this new idea of Renaissance continues to change hearts. Wherever you go, no matter what culture you find yourself in, you will find people hip to this. It has been said that they have found Jesus. Well let’s get one thing straight. Jesus was never lost. The deal is this. Love called and we followed. For sure, Love saved us from death and destruction, which would have been the result of our lives without Love.
Jammin exercise: If you haven’t already asked Love into your heart… well… what are you waiting for? It’s as natural as breathing. In fact, it’s as simple as acknowledging that He’s the reason that you breathe. Now that you know who Love is, let me introduce you to someone. His name is Jesus Christ. He knows what you’ve been through. He knows what you’ve done, and it doesn’t make any difference to Him. He still loves you and wants you and Him to become tight. His burden is light, and His love is everlasting. All you need to do is to reach out to Him and tell him, “I now give birth Lord, to the new life that you’ve placed in me”.
Then, all you need to do is to learn how to rely on Him. This will take time and each day you live here on this spinning walnut, you’ll continue to see the baby grow and grow. It will be challenging, it will be time consuming, and it will even take some sacrifice, but man, is it worth it!
Of all the jams you will ever have with God, this will be the greatest one. And I promise you… this one, you will never forget! Find some good Christian friends and a safe place for you to nurture your newborn life. It’s a very necessary part of the growth process. You need to be around people you can trust, people that will allow the baby to cry and make a mess, just like babies do. But at the same time, you’ll see fast and amazing growth spurts in the beginning; lots of smiles and hugs are in order here.
For those of you that have already given birth to your renaissance baby and you’re somewhere further down along the road, then here’s your jammin’ exercise;
Time to feed your baby something new. Baby’s been on the same milk and cereal diet for way too long. Here goes… take a half hour some night and watch a television drama show that you’ve never watched before, something that you’re totally unfamiliar with. I don’t care what it is, the point is I want you to look at the characters and think about their plight. Think about where their lives are headed without God, without Love, (true love). (Stay away from the silly sitcoms for this exercise, because that’s not the real world. That’s cotton candy on steroids.) But in a real human-interest drama, try and imagine the long-term outcome of the character’s lives and see where they are headed. Tell me if you don’t start feeling something for their souls. Tell me if you don’t start wanting to pray for them. Bring it back home and relate them to people you might know. Think about your reason for being here. Are you here just to stand on the sidelines and watch these people fall further and further away from the source of life?
Time to start thinking about your vision, your baby in a new way, isn’t it? Time that baby started going to school.
