Thinking about life

Even the TV shows that I watch point out that our society is totally self-centered and unhappy with life. We are the wealthiest people in the world and yet we all are taught to feel entitled to a glamourous life of ease and self-indulgence. I am realizing how deeply engrained this notion is in my own mind. I want to do without and simplify my life, yet the next moment I am worrying about my next hairstyle and contemplating splurging on a fancy salon because my thoughts are telling me, "go on, get the best, you deserve it."

I tell myself that selfishness is the opposite of Christ-like. Yet within the same breath, I naturally am considering "self" by imagining what living like that would cost me---or get me.

I had a really cool vision the other day. I imagined the head of Christ, like a doll's head, being matched with the "body of Christ". I know the etaphor "body of Christ"refers to the collection of all believers, but I would like to think that each little pocket of believers in an area is a body of Christ in it's self to a certain extent. So going along with my head picture, I tried to imagine what our "body" is wearing. Do we look and act like Christ? Are we dressed in shiny, flashy, and expensive clothes of cultural trends. Do we look like the humble servant shepard or like a Gospel pimp? Another "body" that we have is that of a morbidly obese middle aged man in a suit. Are we living a life of religious deeds and then living sordid lives of gluttony behind closed doors? Are we a contridiction? Sometimes the body might look like a clown. We promote the fools and nutcases who are saying ridiculous things and acting like complete back-woods loonies. They have become the icons of the modern evangelical church and the world is watching and laughing...

But, it's hard to fault a simple tunic and sandals. Not literally, but what I mean is this: Jesus didn't have a home or car. He didn't have a retirement account nor did he keep a deep-freeze full of food in case of a famine. He didn't self-indulge, he was all about self-denial. He wept with the mourning and challenged religious pridefulness.

I want the tunic and sandal life... Lord help me go against the flow..