Exceptional Love and Mercy 2

I am on Spring Break, so, yeah, I can do another post.

What does it mean to be a "fool" for Christ? Remember my story about Greg and his style of evangelizm that I blogged about? I use to think it meant being as obnoxious as him. I don't think it does. I think that style was just plain foolish.

I am beginning to think that being a real fool for Christ means something very different. Could it mean showing exceptional love and mercy? Think about it. Loving your enemy is foolish. Loving the poor across town who do not look or act like us is not natural, it is foolish. Starting a homeless shelter with little means is foolish. Continuing to reach out to the homeless after some backed up a truck and stole what little you had while you were sick in the hospital is foolish. Letting go of the hurt and responding with love to someone who has offended you is foolish.

There are fools and then there are fools for Christ.

Maybe I am being too hard on Greg. I tend to use hyperbole as a literary device. I am reminded that not judging is a fairly direct command in the SOM and SOP. Okay, maybe Greg was or was not being a fool for Christ, but should we at least not hold examples like this out there as the prototype for what it means to be a fool for Christ? Should we at least expand the examples to include acts of exceptional love and mercy?