brokenness and the empire

Rome had it all together. Or so they wanted everyone to see.

That’s part of empire thinking. Making sure everyone knows you are the biggest, best, strongest, most together thing in town.

Empires don’t have problems. (System problems are hidden, people problems are cast out and anyone who talks about either is punished.)

Empires build energy and commitment through carefully selected stories. (Usually drawn from victories of the near past and the promises of increased greatness in the future. They are obsessive with size and power and tell their stories in a way that hides the collateral damage incurred by their unbridled pursuit of both.)

Empires are obsessed with appearance. (They look amazing… until you look inside them. There is meticulous detail to the outside of the pot, but the inside is filthy from neglect.)

But what you won’t find in an empire is brokenness.

Because to be broken you have to be humble. You have to admit you don’t have it together. That you can’t to it on your own.

Brokenness was how Jesus lived.

It was subversive to the way of the empire simply because it was so different.

Maybe, for us, spiritual maturity happens when we finally get to the point we stop pretending to have it all together. When we break from the ways of the empire and live in brokenness.

When we are no longer trying to impress anyone.

When we talk openly about the mistakes we’ve made and the journey of forgiveness we are traveling.

When our agenda is no longer our greatest priority.

When we stop obsessing over outward perfection as an escape to dealing with internal struggles and darkness.

It’s not the way of the empire. It is radically different. It is the path of the Kingdom of God.

Because blessed are the meek in spirit – the spiritual losers – the ones who just cant get it together – for they will inherit the earth.

Of course, to start this journey, we have to talk about how the Kingdom and the empire have become intertwined.