Fools for Christ

Good morning! Today, it feels like God is playing an April Fools joke on us because there is no way that we are in the month of April already! We are already a quarter of the way through 2011 and heading into a new season of Spring and Opening Day for Major League Baseball in the Rockies! A great time of year, for sure, but it doesn't seem possible how quickly time has flown.

April Fool's Day is a fun day and sometimes the tomfoolery starts early. Earlier this week, I found a naked Barbie Doll in my work bag...obviously something my 12 year-old son thought was funny. Of course, I got a laugh out of it and I'm now planning where I can hide it in response to my surprise earlier in the week (this is an ongoing occurrence in our family). Last night, my daughter told us that she wanted to play an April Fool's joke on her brother by having us wake her up after Ethan fell asleep so that she could place his hand in a glass of warm water! We all know what is "supposed" to happen. She was finding joy in the fact that her brother would be made a fool of if the experiment was successful. What kind of delinquent children am I raising?

Of course, all of this is in fun. But, on this 1st day of April, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 4:10 where Paul says, "We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!" Paul was challenging the Christians in the church in Corinth. They had become complacent in their faith, their leadership, and their understanding of what it meant to be Christ in their world. These words from Paul were sarcastic in tone, and challenging in meaning.

Being fools for Christ means that what we believe, what we do, how we live will often be seen as foolish in the eyes of the world and even within the context of societal norms. When you follow Christ, your decisions, the love your share, the way you forgive, the jokes you laugh at, the priorities you set in your life, the words you write on Facebook, your blog, or your tweets, are different and not what others may expect. In some peoples' eyes, it may even appear foolish.

In his book, Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel tells the story of Clarence Jordan. He was a man of unusual abilities and commitment. He had two Ph.D.s, one in agriculture and the other in Greek and Hebrew. He was so gifted he could have chosen to do anything he wanted. He chose to serve the poor. In the 1940s, he founded a farm in Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia Farm. It was a community for poor whites and poor blacks.

As you might guess, the idea did not go over well in the Deep South of the 1940s. The town people tried everything to stop Clarence. They tried boycotting him, and slashing the workers’ tires when they came to town. Over and over, for fourteen years, they tried to stop him. Finally, in 1954, the Ku Klux Klan had enough of Clarence Jordan, so they decided to get rid of him once and for all. They came one night with guns and torches and set fire to every building on Koinonia Farm but Clarence’s home, which they riddled with bullets. They chased off all the families but one black family that refused to leave. Clarence recognized the voices of the Klansmen, some of who were church people. One Klansman was a local newspaper reporter.

The next day, the reporter came out to see what remained of the farm. The rubble was smoldering, but he found Clarence in the field, hoeing and planting. “I heard the awful news,” he called to Clarence, “and I came out to do a story on the tragedy of your farm closing.” Clarence just kept on hoeing and planting. The reporter kept poking trying to get this quietly determined man to get angry. Instead of packing, Clarence was planting. Finally, the reporter said in a haughty voice, “Well, Dr. Jordan, you got two of them Ph.D.s and you've got fourteen years into this farm, and there’s nothing left of it at all. Just how successful do you think you've been?” Clarence stopped hoeing, turned toward the reporter with his penetrating blue eyes, and said quietly but firmly, “About as successful as the cross. Sir, I don’t think you understand us. What we are about is not success but faithfulness. We’re staying. Good day.” Beginning that day, Clarence and his companions rebuilt Koinonia and the farm is going strong today.

On this April Fool's Day in which we do foolish things to make others look foolish and take delight in it, may be recommit our lives and our faith to be fools for Christ. To act, live, and be foolish in the eyes of the world so that we may be found faithful in the eyes of Christ.

Holy God, You are set apart. You are full of grace. Your ways are not the ways of the world. I admit that I have often looked foolish in Your eyes, God, so that I may be found worthy in the eyes of the world. Help me to get right my priorities and seek Your ways for my life - even if I may be deemed foolish by those around me. I desire to be faithful to You, and You alone. Thank you for reminding me that if I am going to be a fool for anything, it is best to be a fool for You. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen.