The Ridge Path

Back to fleshing out the overused ridge metaphor to define what the believer is to "do" or how to behave in their life. There seems to be a right way and some wrong ways to do good works. In this post, I want to focus on the path on the ridge.

The path on the ridge represents Jesus followers doing good works properly. What kind of good works? The ones Jesus warned us we ought to actually do rather than hear, think, or talk about. The ones Paul said God planned for us to do and that we were created in Jesus to do. What do you think these would be?

There seems to be two kinds of good works: those that one would naturally and routinely do as part of going about the business of life and those that would be more planned and intentional. I want to focus on the later at this point.

There is any number of “good” things I could do in my life. For example, I could pick up trash on the side of the road. I could plant flowers at church. Both of these are needed and would be fine things to do for my local communities.

But let’s just cut to the chase. They probably aren’t the good works we were created to do. The good works we were created to do probably have more to do with “reconciliation with others (antiracist) and downwardly mobile ethic (anticonsumerist; anticlassist)” as someone said. Or as another said : “those who find favor with God give themselves on behalf of the poor.” Scot McKnight made this comment on his post today: “The fact is that many, if not most, of evangelicals — or those who claim personal conversion — are not that involved in the anticonsumerist and antiracist and anticlassist agenda” as advocated by Paul Metzger.

I guess that means that they have left the path on the ridge. I wonder what side they fell on?

You cannot do good works that involve genuine reconciliation with others and downwardly mobile ethic, or give yourself on behalf of the poor without being darned intentional.

I want to be intentional. I want to learn how to be in the homes of the poorest of the poor in our area and be present with them. I want to see them as God sees them, as an undying soul. I want to see them as equals. I want to put myself in their shoes. From there I want to correct an injustice or show mercy and compassion. This kind of good works is a "portal to a sacred reality that is both eminent and transcendent."

Let's go. I'm following you, Jesus.