1BLOG 10/23/16. ” … IT SMELLS LIKE AN ORC !”

BLOG 10/23/16. “ … IT SMELLS LIKE AN ORC!”

Remember The Lord of the Rings trilogy?  A couple of decades ago it was the ‘must’ reading of the avant-garde. It was the classic battle between good and evil played out in Middle-earth. In that epic, the dark lord was Sauron, who was the 1st lieutenant of Morgoth, who was behind all of the works of darkness. O.K. So Sauron employs, among other agents, a whole hosts of malevolent humanoids called orcs and who always stunk with a foul odor, who generally lived in subterranean habitations, … but occasionally emerged and took on human form in order to deceive those who were agents of Saruman the White, who was the wizard sent to Middle-earth, to resist the destructive workings of Sauron.

Here’s where I’m going: When the orcs took on human form for their evil designs, they may have looked like humans, but they still smelled like orcs, by which they could be recognized in their counterfeit roles. They looked like humans, but they smelled like orcs. Got it?

What’s that got to with my Blog? Take note of how often Jesus made the point that those who were to be his disciples were those who manifestly did his will, who obeyed his teachings, who demonstrated his character in their daily lives, who lived out the Beatitudes. … and, as the apostle would say: exuded the ‘sweet aroma of Christ’ in their daily human lives.

In these recent months there have been all kinds of calamitous controversies, not only in politics, but in so many dimensions of our present tense global scene. In the midst of this there are those who would try to defend a position by misappropriating the magnificent designation of ‘evangelical’ in order to give legitimacy to whatever position they were espousing. Or, public figures will seek to identify themselves with a Christian denomination, or some religious community to seek legitimacy. But as for myself, as one who professes to be a follower of Christ, I want most fervently to insist that those who are Christian, whatever their particular label, are those who are doers of the word of Jesus, they have his DNA determining their behavior and thinking. They are those who are peacemakers. They are those who are champions of the poor and oppressed. They are agents of justice. They are those who seek to bring healing, who give refuge to strangers and the homeless, who feed the hungry, who are agents of mercy, who are willing to pay the price / suffer for righteous causes. They are those that others can see and know by their works and daily lives that they are the children of God—Roman Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Independent, Orthodox … whatever.

So when advocacy groups, or political segments identify themselves as ‘evangelicals’, or as ‘Christians’, or whatever, … but smell like orcs, i.e., live and do the works that are counter to that which Jesus did and taught, then write them off as imposters who have never gotten the message of Jesus, that Jesus who came to make all things new, and to conform his people to the divine image in athe totality of their lives, and thinking, and works.

In this often discouraging, secular, and frequently meaningless society, the followers of Jesus are to be the aroma of Christ, they are to be the walking, talking, loving, unselfish servants of righteousness that bring streams of living water into their daily lives and neighborhoods. Contrariwise, those who do the works of darkness, who smell like self-aggrandizement, loveless-ness, injustice, and self-serving, etc. …though they may call themselves the ‘good guys’ but they smell like ‘orcs’. ‘Nuff said.

In the Rings trilogy, the followers of Saruman the White prevail, and their world, and the Shire, are restored to pristine harmony. So with the followers of the Lamb of God, he who must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. And so comes his warning that many shall come in the last day and put their orthodox claims in their “Lord, Lord” profession before him, but to whom he will say: “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.” What a tragic end!

http://wipfandstock.com/the-church-and-the-relentless-darkness.html

About rthenderson

Sixty years a pastor-teacher within the Presbyterian Church. Author of several books, the latest of which are a trilogy on missional ecclesiology: ENCHANTED COMMUNITY: JOURNEY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH, then, REFOUNDING THE CHURCH FROM THE UNDERSIDE, then THE CHURCH AND THE RELENTLESS DARKNESS. Previous to this trilogy was A DOOR OF HOPE: SPIRITUAL CONFLICT IN PASTORAL MINISTRY, and SUBVERSIVE JESUS, RADICAL FAITH. I am a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a graduate of Davidson College, then of Columbia and Westminster Theological Seminaries.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge