Do This in Remembrance

I just finished reading an excellent post about homeschooling and community. It was lovely; I hope our local homeschooling co-op can live up to it.  There are signs that it does and can.

The ensuing comments are exactly what you expect and mostly good, but they trouble me.  In the same way that I trouble myself.

I really like to hear myself talk.

You can listen to me talk about good food, gardening at home, breastfeeding, spanking, reading, sex, martinis, smoking.  And homeschooling. And community.  And if I can show off my kids, even better.

Tonight in church though, I remembered that it's Christ first, everything else a distant second.  You can eat McDonald's every day, reject fresh veggies, give your kid a bottle, sit your naughty boy in a chair for "time out," abstain from sex, martinis and cigars. You can even send your kid to the ugliest, most institutional elementary school in a ghetto.  And Christ can still find you, save you, heal you.  He can create community among failed parents, troubled teenagers, weirdos, the very rich.

So if I focus on any of those things before I let you listen to me talk about Christ, I fail. Or if I get to talk to you about them and you don't hear Christ at all, I fail.  Or worse (and most likely), I talk about Christ but hold you in contempt because you don't share my extra-biblical values. Fail.

Don't do life in remembrance of shared values, opinions or options. Do life in memory of Christ. Share Christ.   And if you get the rest thrown in, thanks be to God.