A Dance Called Dangerous

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Have you ever read through a sentence, only to roll your eyes and wonder, “Did that just say what I thought it said, because it almost, kinda, maybe, made sense?” If you have ever had such a reaction, you may have experienced a paraprosdokian – a sentence with an unexpected ending. It literally means “against expectations” in Greek. Here are just a few to boggle your brain:

~ The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

~ Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.

~ The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list.

~ If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.

~ Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

~ I didn’t say it was your fault; I said I was blaming you.

So was your brain a tad bit boggled? Getting unexpected answers or results can be a double-edged sword for sure – sometimes amazingly good and other times devastating. Fortunately for us, if our desires line up with godly will, we can expect an extraordinary life. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” I believe for Christians, a good part of that “expected end” should involve progressive growth and change.

I once heard about someone who had attended his forty-year high school reunion. Upon his return home, when asked how it went, his reply was, “It was one of the saddest experiences of my life.” What had happened? He thought he would see big changes in his old friends but instead the only changes were gained weight, different clothes, and new jobs…other than that, they really hadn’t changed much. The life that we have been entrusted with is too precious to allow for stagnation. But, of course, the core question here is – what kind of changes are supposed to happen to us?

There’s an answer to that. Aristophanes (446-368 BC) spoke for multitudes when he remarked, “I’d like nothing better than to achieve some bold adventure, worthy of our trip.” I’m with him and believe the best part of our “trip” is aligning ourselves with God and standing boldly and gutsily for truth and fairness in the face of adversity! Boldness is best defined as having the courage to act or speak fearlessly, despite the danger.

Moses boldly and passionately stood up for what was right, and thus was “dangerous” to that old Pharaoh. I love that – I want to be dangerous to evil. Someone once noted that “the evidence of boldness is whether or not a person is making choices throughout the day that revolve around their desire to avoid conflict.” We cannot afford to allow cowardice to win out over courage! Not in these times! This is not the season to avoid the Biblical narratives calling for radical boldness and action! As Francis Chan noted, “Lukewarm people call ‘radical’ what Jesus expected of all of His followers. ”

Check out this fascinating read about Jesus by Martin Bell: “There He is. In the temple again. Causing trouble. Speaking very differently from other preachers. Speaking with authority…penetrating the dark corners of human existence. Shattering illusion. Make no mistake about it; this is a dangerous man.” Someone once said that there’s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place. Guess I’m a dangerous person then, because my passion is to do just that, and I hope yours is too! I refuse to participate or comply with corrupt behavior – it just takes guts!

Evil always tries to intimidate and bully “good” – it’s their modus operandi. Again, remember Moses – such a gritty guy – confronting Pharaoh over and over again, because passivity is not a word that should define God’s people. Moses just confirms what a huge difference a single individual can make! As Albert Einstein duly noted: “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street, in Hemet, CA. For more information you can visit them at DPCityChurch.org

Susan Beckett • Dwelling Place City Church

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